The Kansas football offense has created an identity for itself with creative run plays utilizing star running back Devin Neal. However, wide receiver play has been pivotal for the Jayhawks since Lance Leipold arrived in 2021, and the team will return its top three wideouts for the following season.
After Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm confirmed they would be back in Lawrence on social media earlier this month, Quentin Skinner confirmed with 27 News that he would do the same. Jalon Daniels officially has his three top guys back for the highly anticipated 2024 campaign.
Arnold led the team in receiving yards the past two years, amassing 88 catches, 1,498 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns since 2022. Grimm was the go-to safety blanket for KU quarterbacks, scoring 12 touchdowns and catching 85 passes over the past two years. Skinner also saw an uptick in production, totaling a career-high 587 yards this season.
Newly hired offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes could also have played a factor in the trio's return. In the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Arnold, Grimm, and Skinner combined for 372 receiving yards and six touchdowns on Jason Bean's record-breaking day.
It was the first game quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski was calling plays, and he is expected to help Grimes out next year. There had been games where the receivers did not get involved in the offense, so their lucrative performances might have foreshadowed something massive.
Former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki set the blueprint for the Jayhawk skill players, but we could see more emphasis on throwing the ball in 2024. Regardless, Grimes will maintain the pro-style spread offense fans have become accustomed to.
With Daniels back at full health, Neal returning for a historic senior season, and all top three receivers back, the Kansas football offense can expect to break several school records next summer.
ICYMI: Quentin Skinner will be back for a fifth-year in 2024, I confirmed yesterday. The Jayhawks are expected to return all three of their top wideouts, a combined 119 (‼️) games of college football experience.@qskin_10 @lukegrimm25 @LjArnold318 https://t.co/vheWlX3dd5
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) January 18, 2024