photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Emmanuel Henderson Jr. makes a catch during a drill at practice Thursday, July 24, 2025 in Lawrence.

Kansas’ senior wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. only has five career catches, but you wouldn’t know it from the way his teammates and coaches talk about him.

It was apparent from early in the spring that the Jayhawks thought they had something special in Henderson, a former five-star running back from Alabama who left the Crimson Tide for KU in search of playing time in his final season. Fellow wideout Levi Wentz called him “the fastest receiver I’ve ever been around” and position coach Terrence Samuel said his work ethic might even exceed his natural talent.

The on- and off-field accolades have continued into the fall.

First, strength coach Matt Gildersleeve said Henderson is the only player they have who has ever achieved a “faster velocity” than what former quarterback Jason Bean accomplished during his time at KU. That’s significant because Bean was widely considered the fastest player on the roster throughout his tenure.

Then, building on Samuel’s praise of Henderson’s mentality, offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski said Henderson had done a particularly good job retaining the schematic details KU installed in the spring.

“He picked stuff up exceptionally fast,” Zebrowski said.

Zebrowski also suggested that Henderson could move around to different positions. Head coach Lance Leipold noted on Thursday that he has been serving as the team’s primary kick returner, with the punt-return spot still up for grabs.

Late addition

Another receiver, Jaidyn Doss, hadn’t been on campus long when KU opened fall camp on July 24. The redshirt sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri, had committed to join the Jayhawks just 10 days earlier, transferring from Nebraska as a Designated Student-Athlete as he took advantage of a one-time portal window that opened on July 7.

Leipold said it was important to add a local player, and “a player of his caliber that we feel has a bright future (and) continues to develop is just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

“We reached out to Nebraska just to do our background checks, and everything was very favorable, just a situation (with) a little more logjam than he had hoped,” Leipold added. “Good young man who’s just looking to reset and go.”

Doss will have an uphill battle to obtain playing time with four other transfers in Henderson, Wentz, Bryson Canty and Cam Pickett already in the fold, as well as a pair of key returnees in Doug Emilien and Keaton Kubecka. But as Zebrowski pointed out, the addition of Doss is a long-term play in that it gives KU a player with a couple more years left and improves the age balance in the position group.

Foster on the field

KU center Bryce Foster has taken part in the portions of practice available to the media in recent days, beginning when the Jayhawks finished their first cycle of fall camp on Sunday evening.

That is noteworthy because Foster missed Big 12 media days in early July due to a recent medical procedure. Leipold said at the time that Foster would be ready for KU’s season opener on Aug. 23 against Fresno State but that he would be limited for a week or two during camp.

His appearances on Sunday and in the days since have indicated that he is working his way back into action.

“He’s a presence, and he leads by example, so when he’s out there we’re a lot better,” co-offensive coordinator Matt Lubick said on Tuesday.

Leipold said KU doesn’t want to risk any setbacks, especially with an interior lineman.

“He’s doing some (individual) drills, he’s taken a couple one-on-one reps in some things,” Leipold said on Thursday. “He’s doing it. Probably from the initial part, I wasn’t expecting anything for probably another week, so I really haven’t pressed Trent (Carter) and our training staff for ‘Hey, when’s he going to be out there.’ We’re in a really good spot with him and want to make sure that he’s ready to go.”

Foster was the Jayhawks’ lone representative on the preseason All-Big 12 team and on Tuesday was named to the preseason watchlist for the Outland Trophy for the nation’s top interior lineman.

More injury updates

Canty, a fifth-year senior transfer from Columbia, hasn’t participated in the open portions of KU’s last several practices. Freshman wideout Jaden Nickens has also been a notable absence.

Leipold said Canty is dealing with a leg injury — an unfortunate one given that he just arrived on campus during the summer — and could be back in about a week.

Nickens had a “non-football-related incident injury,” Leipold said.

“He’s getting closer to returning to action as well,” he added. “I expect them both to be out here sometime during camp.”

Thursday was the first day since the start of camp on which promising redshirt freshman running back Harry Stewart III, who has a chance to compete with redshirt sophomore Johnny Thompson Jr. for the No. 3 spot at his position, was not wearing a yellow non-contact jersey during the practice periods available to media.

Leipold said Stewart now needs to work his way back up to speed after his injury in the spring.

“Any time has a guy has something in a lower extremity with a brace on or something, it takes a while to get used to and to feel like you can run in full speed in that,” Leipold said. “But Harry continues to work hard. He’s done everything that they’ve asked. Again, I think that’s another bigger back that gives us a power runner but also has deceptive speed.”

Running backs coach Jonathan Wallace said he wants Stewart to “be himself” as he becomes less limited.

“He’s getting in a groove,” Wallace said. “We’re starting to do a little bit more with him in practices now, so that’s been super helpful for him, just to be able to get those reps again, get back in his groove. He popped one today during team run, and so that was fun, and I’m sure he was fired up for himself as well as he gets back going too.”