Jayhawks embrace new offensive coordinator’s vision: QB sees ‘guys all over the field’

Without revealing any secrets, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels hinted to media members Tuesday that there might be even more video-game-like movement and explosiveness on offense this season than a stellar 2023 campaign in which the Jayhawks averaged 34.9 points and 446 yards per game.

“I feel like we have a lot of people who are able to make plays with the ball in their hands,” Daniels, a redshirt junior, said, describing new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ overall scheme as “multiple.”

“I feel we are going to put a lot of people in different positions than you probably have seen in the past in our offense. We’re going to make sure we are able to get guys all over the field to be able to get the ball.”

Grimes — he arrives at KU with the title of assistant head coach/offensive coordinator after three successful seasons at Baylor, including the Big 12 title season of 2021 — according to Daniels brings a lot of the “same verbiage” as used under previous coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who left KU on Dec. 1 after three seasons to become Penn State’s offensive coordinator.

“We still do a lot of the same stuff we did last year. There’s a lot of new stuff coach Grimes has added to make sure we are more of a multiple offense than we have already been. You are still going to see a lot of the same stuff. You definitely are going to see new little kinks into the offense,” noted Daniels, who because of injury played in just three games last season.

Jason Bean largely orchestrated the show during a 9-4 campaign that included a Guaranteed Rate Bowl win over UNLV.

Grimes in his 30-year career as a college coach also was offensive coordinator at BYU, where the 2020 Cougars tied for the national lead in yards per play (7.84) and scored 40 or more points in nine of 12 games. In a news conference with media on Wednesday, Grimes said in good nature, “I hope what he (Daniels) says is true.”

He explained his philosophy further.

“How much of (what) we can do is dependent on how much our players can handle,” Grimes stated. “As a coach if you had 75 plays in a game, you’d love for every one of those plays to look like you shifted and you motioned and you had misdirection and nobody knew where the ball was going, like every play looks like a trick play and everybody goes, ‘Why don’t you run more of those?’

“Because they are hard. They are hard to execute. ... There are a lot of moving pieces to those. You’d love to be able to say you can do as much of that as possible. The limit of it is only how much our players can actually handle. The positive is I think they can handle quite a bit.”

Kansas returns a plethora of skill players, including running backs Devin Neal, Daniel Hishaw and Sevion Morrison. The top four receivers from a year ago return in Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner and Trevor Wilson. Versatile Torry Locklin is expected to move to wide receiver from running back. Trevor Kardell and Jared Casey are back at tight end. Cole Ballard, who played in four games last season, returns as backup QB.

As far as offensive linemen, Dominick Puni, Mike Novitsky, Armaj Reed-Adams and Spencer Lovell are gone but the squad returns Michael Ford, Bryce Cabeldue and Kobe Baynes. The line is joined by former Texas A&M standout Bryce Foster at center or guard.

“What’s been done here already (has) proven they can do quite a bit,” said Grimes of a multifaceted offense. “I’ve got to give Andy and the other coaches credit for that. I’ve walked into a situation where we not only have talent and experience but there’s a system in place that the players know and are able to execute with a lot of moving pieces at a very high level.”

And about Daniels’ vision for the offense...

“What I’d like to do is even more of it,” Grimes said. “It’s something that I’ve always believed in and at some times in my career have been able to do more or less of it depending on the situation, but I’d say we are in position right now to do more than I’ve ever done.”

Tight end Casey, a 6-0, 245-pound senior from Plainville, Kansas, said Grimes “preaches fast and physical. We go every single day and be as fast and physical as we possibly can and I’m really liking where we are heading.”

Noted tight end Kardell, a 6-5, 250-pound senior from Lee’s Summit: “For the most part we are keeping a lot of the same terminology, a lot of the same sort of play style, just running through people’s faces. There’s not a whole lot of differences. Obviously the coaching style is a little different. We’re learning different things and different techniques. It’s been really good for us.”

Grimes realizes that he inherits a pair of special talents in RB Neal and QB Daniels. Both, if healthy, could vie for All-America honors, and maybe even enter the Heisman race at some point.

What’s in store for Neal, a 5-11, 215-pound senior out of Lawrence High?

“There are certain pieces of the game for him, I know there are, that he wants to improve in and I think each of those will make him a more versatile player,” Grimes said. “Becoming a better blocker, whether he’s blocking in pass protection, which is a big deal for NFL running backs, ... (or) blocking for the other back. We have two really talented backs (Neal, Hishaw) on this team. There are times where we need to have both those guys on the field at the same time, but there’s only one football, so the other guy sometimes can be a diversion.

“... I think he recognizes he can improve as a route runner and a receiver and certainly can see that being a piece of it as well.”

Of QB Daniels, 6-0, 220 pounds out of Lawndale, California, Grimes said: “My hope would be he would be the guy that I see every day in practice, the guy I see every day that I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I think he’s a guy that’s really comfortable with who he is. I think he’s a guy that brings a lot of energy and excitement to the team not just through his play but by his personality. And I love to see him, like everybody, to be healthy and play every down and lead our team to a championship. I have no reason to think that wouldn’t be the case based on what I’ve seen so far.”

Grimes added to media members that he likes all sorts of offense, including trick plays — “I have thrown a pass with a tight end in the game; it wouldn’t be the first, so we’re ready for it” — said KU’s ultimate success in 2024 could depend on numerous veteran players’ performance.

“For a team to win a championship, your best players have to play great,” Grimes said. “We need all those guys to play better than they’ve ever played if we are going to win a championship. Playing like we played last year isn’t good enough. Even though it was a great season, that’s not good enough to win a championship.”

Fourth-year KU football coach Lance Leipold noted that it’s great to have numerous returnees on offense.

“Anytime you’ve got some guys who come back that have got proven productivity, it is exciting,” Leipold said. “No. 1, we’ve got to keep them healthy, that’s first and foremost. But again, they are almost like the vets up in St. Joe with the Chiefs. You know what they’ve done. They are proven. But for us at our level and our way of doing it, I want to make sure they keep their practice habits what they need to be so when called upon it sets an example for the younger players on how we do it.

“... Daily improvement is still going to be the foundation of what we’re about. If we lose sight of that I think we’ll lose our way.”

The Jayhawks started practice Tuesday and will continue up until Game 1. KU opens against Lindenwood at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Children’s Mercy Park.