KU football confident in young wide receiver room

LAWRENCE (KSNT) – Fall camp continues for the Jayhawks with a little less than three weeks until KU’s season opener at the new ‘Booth.’

This morning’s practice focused heavily on Kansas’ young wide receiver room. The group is comprised of four transfers, four freshmen, and six returners, most with minimal in-game experience.

Wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel had a lot of praise for returner Doug Emilien, and Transfers Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Alabama) and Levi Wentz (Albany).

“Emmanuel is catching the ball and being sudden, getting up the field,” Samuel said. “Doug is playing faster than he’s ever played. So, these guys have all accepted some parts of where we were lacking last year, and they’re adapting.”

Emilien, a redshirt senior, recognizes the growth he’s had from last season.

“100 percent, I’m being more vocal,” Emilien said. “That was kind of my weak point, not talking a lot, and I feel like I’ve been great.”

“He’s accepted leadership,” Samuel said. “He’s not worried about so much what he gets, he’s worried about how the group is moving… he is playing his best ball.”

Henderson, a senior who played his first three seasons at Alabama, is looking forward to helping the younger guys improve.

“For the younger guys… we’re going to continue to bring them along with us, continue to get them on pace and just working on them all, small details,” Henderson noted. “I feel like the older guys are very mature, they know what they’re doing.”

Samuel commended Wentz, a redshirt senior who spent his first two seasons with Old Dominion and his most recent two with Albany, for his grit and physicality.

“He’s a physical guy, he runs his routes physical, he can set the tone, he can set the tone for us on offense,” Samuel said.

“I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, I come from a defensive background, so I’m used to all the head bumping and getting down and dirty,” Wentz added.

The Jayhawks’ first game of the season is August 23rd at 7 p.m. against Fresno State.