Terry Samuel sees urgency from senior WRs, details areas for growth

Wide receiver is one of the most intriguing positions for the Jayhawks because of the amount of new faces needed to replace a lot of production. WRs coach Terry Samuel spoke to the media during fall camp about how he’s seeing seniors maximize their opportunities, where the group can improve, and who’s stepping into leadership roles.

Seniors feeling a sense of urgency

Three of the five wide receiver additions from the transfer portal – Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Levi Wentz, and Bryson Canty – are all entering their senior seasons. Samuel said that trio, along with fellow transfer Cam Pickett, are looking to make the most of their opportunity at Kansas.

“These are all guys that understand; they want an opportunity to maximize this opportunity,” Samuel said. “So you got to get out there and play.”

Samuel said that group has responded to tough coaching. They know what it will take for them to have the season that they want to have.

“You want to be coached,” Samuel said. “[They’re like] ‘I don’t care if you coach me hard right now, coach—hey, tell me what I need to know so I can go out there and do it, because I got right now.’ And that’s fun. But then, like I said, I think these guys are going to push forward to make the season that they want happen.”

The Alabama transfer Henderson has stood out both with his speed and leadership abilities. Samuel said he sets the tone for the wide receiver room by embracing hard coaching.

“His mannerisms, the way he goes about things, the leadership—he’s trying to get in the front line, but he’s going fast,” Samuel said. “He’s taking hard coaching. He allows me to coach him hard. So the other guys behind him have to get coached hard just as well. He understands—if you’re the one making the plays, you gotta be the one getting coached hard too. That makes it easy on me, but that sets a great tone for the room. That’s what I’m really appreciative with him.”

WRs build chemistry with Jalon Daniels

Samuel said his group is doing a good job, not a great job, and the first thing he mentioned as an area for improvement was timing with the quarterback. Daniels and the new-look wide receiver room have been hard at work building chemistry, including a visit to Daniels’ home state of California, but they can still continue to grow.

“The rhythm and the chemistry, it’s coming,” Samuel said. “Our guys have done a really good job during the summer, like I said, getting good chemistry with our quarterbacks. I think we just got to continue to get it to the point to where I can sleep at night.”

Daniels and Samuel don’t have a ton of conversation across position groups. However, Samuel said he needs Daniels to be vocal with the wideouts.

“I need to feel him in practice. Don’t be afraid to talk to those wideouts and get on the wideouts,” Samuel said. “If you see it, act it. And if you don’t like it, talk. It’s okay. Those are the good things—those are the moments that get quarterback and wide receiver relationships better.”

Doug Emilien accepting leadership, others stepping up

Emilien is entering his fourth year in the program and is the lone returning wide receiver who saw consistent playing time. Lauded for his pass-blocking ability and wanting to see the best for the group, Samuel said Emilien is playing his best ball.

“He’s accepted leadership at this point,” Samuel said. “And he’s not worried about so much what he gets; he’s worried about how the group’s moving. That’s been a compliment to him, and I appreciate him for how he’s going about it. But he is playing his best ball.”

Samuel also mentioned Henderson and Keaton Kubecka as players who are starting to understand leadership. He said that leadership has been a collective effort, with guys stepping up when there’s an opportunity.

“I have a good room of guys that are leading when the opportunity presents itself,” Samuel said. “It’s not just one man. It’s not just one player. It’s a collective, and I’m happy with it being that way. I need to be able to hear other people’s voices and see whether or not—are you going to stand on what you believe? Is this important to you? If you’re going to say it, you better stand on it.”