photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. (11) runs from the end zone after fielding a kickoff during practice on Monday, April 23, 2018.

Easily the skill player most feared by Kansas football opponents, senior receiver Steven Sims Jr. already ranks fifth in program history with 2,049 career receiving yards

The dynamic 5-foot-10, 176-pound wideout from Houston also is third all-time at KU with 161 career receptions and tied for sixth in the Jayhawks’ record books with 15 career touchdown catches.

Sims’ seven 100-yard receiving games, all in the past two seasons, give him the fourth-most among anyone who every has suited up for KU.

Keep in mind Sims has accomplished all of this without even playing for an average offensive team and you get an even greater sense of his value to the KU attack.

Quietly, the Jayhawks think this team should be the best since David Beaty became head coach. With an overhauled offensive line and three talented running backs, the style of KU’s offense could look significantly different this year.

Even if offensive coordinator Doug Meacham favors a clock-consuming, run-heavy approach instead of asking Peyton Bender to make a ton of quick reads and throws, the Jayhawks still should be able to make practical use of the speedy Sims.

In fact, the veteran receiver is an enthusiastic supporter of KU’s running backs, because he envisions them forcing defenses to inch closer and closer to the line of scrimmage to try and bottle up those ball carriers.

“If they get going, it’s only going to open up the pass. So we’ve gotta do that first,” Sims said. “Start with the run, get the run going and everything else is gonna open up.”

Sims can make the types of big plays in the passing game that ignite an entire offense, and it’s feasible for him to be even more productive as a senior if the offense can become more dynamic, making it more difficult to prepare for.

• No. 5: C Alex Fontana

• • No. 4: RB Khalil Herbert

• No. 3: LB Joe Dineen

— Check out the rest of the MVP countdown at Tom Keegan’s Lunch Break blog: Nos. 6-25