Luke Grimm was Jalon Daniels’ favorite target in Kansas’ season-opening 48-3 win over Lindenwood. Grimm led the team with six catches and 111 yards and hauled in a touchdown. It was Grimm’s fourth 100-receiving yards game and he moved into a tie for 3rd in Kansas history with 18 touchdowns.
Daniels and Grimm have developed an ongoing connection since they came together back in 2021. The two, along with other impactful members of the 2024 Kansas offense, quickly gained chemistry in a COVID-hampered offseason by spending time with each other at Stouffer Field, across from where the football players stay at Stouffer Place Apartments.
“We were at that field day and night for the first three, four weeks of the summer because we just couldn't go to the facility because of COVID,” Grimm said. “And then, you know, we start fall camp. We're in the hotel, we're meeting, we're doing film with each other, Covid."
The two would continue to grow their chemistry working out together.
"So we're like, let's go right back to Stouffer Field," Grimm said. "And that was kind of like our little first spot where all the freshmen in that class kind of just bonded together was, you know, it'd be like midnight, one, two in the morning. We'd just be out there catching routes, running pass plays, running run plays, just trying to figure out each other's schemes and stuff and how we work.”
The work has paid off, as the offensive core from that Class of 2021 has all returned for their senior seasons and is part of why the Jayhawks have high expectations in 2024. Daniels, Grimm, and others have gone through some dark days but have been able to grow up together.
“We both came in here in 2020, and he was 17, I was 18. He's about to be 22. I'm 23. So kind of grew up together,” Grimm said. “We got to, like, experience, you know, a lot of tough times in college football, and then, like tonight, we got to experience a good time together. So just growing through that and, you know, a lot [of] off-season work, a lot of film together, but just kind of hanging out, being friends and just building relationships with each other.”
However, there was some rust to be knocked off against Lindenwood, as miscommunication between Daniels and Grimm caused an interception late in the first quarter. Daniels said that it was he who read the coverage wrong.
"That play was on me,” Daniels said. “I feel like the DB did a great job of being able to make the coverage look like it was something different, and I just have to give props to the DB for being able to make a play on that, and that’s on me. That’s one of the throws I want back.”
Despite the interception, Daniels was not shy about taking shots down the field. He connected with Grimm for a 58-yard touchdown pass that helped cement the game as a blowout. Grimm said he thought Daniels made good throws all night.
“It was a heck of a throw and catch,” Lance Leipold said. “I thought Luke Grimm really played well there for like a stretch of 15 minutes, maybe on the clock. It was really impressive.”
