Breaking News: Kansas Jayhawks finally trade Luke Grimm for $90 million…Read More…
LAWRENCE — Luke Grimm’s reaction wouldn’t have been that hard to guess, had you told him before the start of Kansas football’s 2022 regular season what he’d be able to accomplish.
Lead the Jayhawks in receptions while missing a game? Heading toward the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 in Memphis in a tie for first in receiving touchdowns and second for receiving yards? Grimm, a junior wide receiver, would have been ecstatic.
It was unclear who would step up after Kwamie Lassiter II turned pro this offseason. Grimm, like redshirt sophomore wide receivers Lawrence Arnold and Quentin Skinner, was poised to compete for a more significant role. In a way, they all faced a blank slate with Terrence Samuel taking over as wide receivers coach.
But when Grimm talked about his success, he didn’t highlight his own personal traits. He described his position group as a whole, and how the doubts about its reliability became something they took personally. He said the people doubting didn’t know what they were talking about and hadn’t watched them play.
“I mean, with the receiver room, it was awesome,” said Grimm, who set new career highs for catches, yards and touchdowns this year. “…But, just the fact that you couldn’t key in on one person. You couldn’t double-team someone because the other two guys can go just as good as that guy does.”
Grimm finished the regular season with 42 catches for 456 yards and five touchdowns, missing only the Baylor game. Arnold finished with 36 catches for 597 yards and four touchdowns. Skinner finished with 25 catches for 436 yards and five scores.
The trio, along with others like senior tight end Mason Fairchild and redshirt sophomore tight end Jared Casey, may not have made Kansas the most formidable passing attack in the nation, or even the Big 12 Conference. But that’s not what these Jayhawks (6-6, 3-6 Big 12) were asked to do. Paired up with what was, at times, an explosive rushing attack, Grimm and his teammates did their part to help the offense take major strides in its second season with coordinator Andy Kotelnicki — who Sports Illustrated reported Friday has agreed to a contract extension.
There was a versatility there that Kansas can continue to develop before it faces Arkansas (6-6, 3-5 SEC) later this month. Grimm sees these weeks between the regular season finale and the bowl game as another spring ball or fall camp, where they can spend time focusing on fundamentals. The Jayhawks, who’ve been banged up health-wise, have some time to rest before they dive deeper into their game plan this week.