Wide receiver might have the biggest loss of returning production from last season with the graduations of Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner.

Wide receivers coach Terry Samuel went to work in the offseason, replacing that trio with transfer talent. Samuel touched on what he’s seen from the transfers and how they’ve acclimated, as well as discussing how he’s coaching a room without a ton of experience at Kansas.

Emmanuel Henderson, Levi Wentz, Cam Pickett have traits of former big three

Henderson, Wentz and Pickett were three of the transfer pickups at wide receiver– as well as Bryson Canty, who hasn’t arrived on campus yet. Samuel said he searched for guys with similar traits as the three wideouts he’s known for his entire Kansas career, along with guys who know how to do the right thing.

“Wentz is definitely an LJ-type body,” Samuel said. “Emmanuel can run deep with speed, so if you want to put that in the Skinner category, you can do that as well. But, you know, Luke would probably be the Cam.”

The Alabama transfer Henderson has made waves in the spring with his speed. Samuel said he runs angry and can be a big boost to Jalon Daniels, but he also complimented Henderson’s character.

“He is a wonderful person. That's the first thing that stands out,” Samuel said. “I mean, we got guys that fit the room. Emmanuel is, in addition to being a great person, he works hard, his skill set is really high, but his ability to work is even higher. So there's no Complaints, there’s just I want to do.”

Samuel said that despite it being a primarily new group, they’ve bonded better than expected. He said they want to learn and have good competition without a lot of egos.

Samuel enjoying coaching new roster but having to take on leadership role

After having a lot of continuity for Samuel’s entire Kansas career, the wide receiver room brings a lot of fresh faces in 2025. Samuel said he’s making the little details a greater importance and has seen a lot of new things.

“Every day you're seeing something new. Every day you're coaching something new,” Samuel said. “So it's fun, you know, I mean, when you have guys for three straight years, there are some assumptions, you know, but with these guys, I can't assume anything. I got to make sure every little detail, every little ounce of my coaching experience is passed down to them. So I'm talking more, way more. And it's fun. It has been. It's been really a joy for me to get into where I'm pushing these guys.”

However, with all the newcomers and inexperienced returners, there has been a leadership void in the wide receiver room. Samuel and analyst Kelton Copeland have taken that leadership role, but Samuel said he expects players to step up when it’s needed.

“I'm still the leader in the room right now, and I think I want to play it that way,” Samuel said. “When it's time to be a leader. I should feel you. Right now, I'm doing it right now. Yeah. Me and Coach Copeland, we're being the leaders right now in the room.”