Lance Leipold explains why Kansas hasn’t signed a receiver in its 2022 recruiting class

LAWRENCE — The 14 scholarships Kansas football has used so far in its 2022 recruiting class, as of Friday morning, address needs at a number of positions in different ways.

There’s the trio of offensive linemen, two high school signees and one college transfer. There’s the pair of linebackers, who are both transfers from the college level as well. Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold and his staff have brought in a mixture of youth and experience, as they attempt to build their roster.

But nowhere in that 14 is a player listed as a wide receiver.

Position changes happen in college football. Just look at current Kansas talent Torry Locklin. But for now, the Jayhawks appear to be headed toward the 2022 season with only the 2021 receivers and perhaps some preferred walk-ons. And on Wednesday, as Leipold discussed the transfers Kansas has added and more, he provided a glimpse into his perspective on why receiver recruitment has played out that way.

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“That’s one of the positions we’re definitely over-scholarshipped at the moment,” said Leipold, asked if it was a conscious effort, if the staff missed on some targets and what his assessment was. “Looking at scholarship numbers and what the (previous staff's) philosophy was, there was ways that, again, candidly, that it was recruited like an 11- or a 10-personnel team but, yet tight ends and fullbacks were being signed as well. So, it’s really bunched up and we’re about 10 scholarships over last season on offense than we were defense.”

Leipold understands the Jayhawks have lost a talented receiver in Kwamie Lassiter II, who’s pursuing a professional career and led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2021. Given their situation, Leipold said they felt they had to stick with what they had at the moment. They’re still trying to find balance on the roster, with Leipold noting their special teams unit is an area that’s been affected by that.

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So, maybe Lawrence Arnold, Trevor Wilson and Luke Grimm are the three main players in contention to be the No. 1 target at the receiver position in 2022. Maybe one of the running backs, Devin Neal, Sevion Morrison or Ky Thomas, becomes a significant factor in the passing game in a way Kansas didn’t see during the 2021 campaign.

Leipold left the door open to a number of possibilities, when he discussed what bringing in Morrison and Thomas did for the Jayhawks’ running back room.

“We’ve always been an offensive team,” Leipold said. “That philosophically is we’re going to utilize as many of our talented players as many ways as possible.”

Of course, as Leipold also talked about how he views recruiting as an ongoing reality, he also mentioned that the staff has to plan for the potential that players could leave the program after spring ball. So, one could imagine there’s a chance more roster movement allows for the possibility a wide receiver is added. It just doesn’t seem likely, at least with this recruiting class.

“School being closed here (Wednesday) and everything, we Zoomed as a staff all morning on our ’23 board, and doing things,” Leipold said. “So, between the ’23 board and then what’s still going to maybe transpire here in the next few months, as you know it never really stops.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.