Wide receiver Quentin Skinner has made plenty of memorable catches over the years.
During the 2023 season alone, he used all of his 6-foot-5 frame to snag a high pass from Jalon Daniels for a sideline grab that helped Kansas escape Nevada; came back from out of bounds to haul in a deflection against Oklahoma; and spun around to secure a ball from Jason Bean between a pair of defenders at Iowa State.
At no point in his career prior to Saturday, though, had the senior posted 100 receiving yards in a game.
Skinner had 98 twice in 2022, in losses to TCU and Texas, and last season caught two passes, both touchdowns, for 91 yards at Oklahoma State.
Saturday’s six-catch, 130-yard, two-touchdown showing at Arizona State cleared all of those, and it was even more striking because of what had preceded it: Skinner had been almost a complete nonfactor in KU’s first five games of the season, with just 105 cumulative yards on eight receptions, and fumbled twice.
He said on Saturday that the start of the season for him had included “a lot of reflecting, in the mirror and then with my peers too.”
“Watching him throughout the whole entire season, it’s kind of been hard,” said the quarterback Daniels, who is also Skinner’s roommate. “… I know how it is for a receiver to not be able to make as many plays as they want to be able to make.”
In games against Illinois and TCU, Skinner had received 19 combined targets with which he did little. At ASU, he received the same kind of high volume, but made the most of it.
“It was good to get him in the rhythm of things,” head coach Lance Leipold said.
Skinner’s performance was highlighted by a diving touchdown catch with two minutes remaining that briefly put KU in front, before the Jayhawks gave up a game-winning score on defense and slumped to their fifth straight loss. Skinner said his mindset was only to make a play.
“Just do what you’re trained to do, and do what you’ve always known your whole life,” he said, “and make something out of the best of what you’re given.”
Daniels, who has had an up-and-down start to the season himself, said he had been trying to put his receivers in the best possible positions but felt like he was falling short.
“It was exciting to be able to see Q-Skin, me and Q-Skin finally being able to have a connection again, and being able to see him be able to put some points up on the board,” he said.
Beyond setting his own career high, Skinner’s 130 yards ended up as the most for any KU receiver since fellow seniors Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm each cleared the mark in last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Grimm had been by far KU’s most productive receiver prior to Saturday.
“I think there’s a balance between featuring people who were being productive and then still trying to get some other guys going and we’ve certainly tried that,” KU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said prior to the ASU game. “I think if you watch the games you’ll see that. And then there are times when you can attempt to target someone but the defense may take that away, so sometimes if you limit yourself too much then it puts the quarterback in a bind.”
If the Jayhawks are going to try to get another receiver involved now, Arnold may be the leading candidate. Last year’s top wideout with Bean at quarterback has just six catches for 83 yards since the start of conference play.
