Kansas Veteran WR Luke Grimm Reflects on Collegiate Career and Mentorship Role

In his final season with the Jayhawks, Grimm aims to make a big impact both on the field and as a teacher to his teammates.

Mathey Gibson | Aug 13, 2024

Sep 23, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks wide receiver Luke Grimm (11) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

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Kansas Jayhawks

As fall camp progresses for the Kansas Jayhawks, senior wide receiver Luke Grimm finds himself reflecting on a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. With his final fall camp underway, Grimm, who has been with the team for five seasons, is acutely aware of how quickly time has flown by.

“It’s my last fall camp and it’s just like holy crap it’s gone so quick,” Grimm said on Monday. “We have such an experienced room. It’s almost the same as when we came in as freshmen: a lot of young guys, not a lot of people in the middle, and a lot of old guys. There’s seven of us I think leaving this year. So just the fact of us sticking out through the bad times and being a part of the good times with each other, really leaving this place in a good spot for all these young guys below us, so they don’t have to go through the bad times but can keep the good times rolling.”

Grimm has been a key figure in mentoring the younger players, guiding them as they adjust to the demands of college football. He has seen many of them mature significantly over the offseason.

“A lot of them are stepping up in big ways, whether it’s like putting on 20-30 pounds in the offseason or maturing to understand concepts,” Grimm said. He added that the young players are now better at adapting during high-tempo plays, recognizing the importance of understanding the game beyond their specific positions.

In preparing these young players for the future, Grimm has emphasized the importance of maintaining a calm and collected mindset.

“Once you get it down, once you understand concepts, plays, defenses, it’s just regular football. It’s not some new sport that nobody’s played before,” Grimm said. “You get here and it’s a little faster, and I’m sure as soon as you get to the next league, it’s going to be faster, but once you learn everything, once you get the speed of it, it’s just football.”

Grimm also shared his excitement about the return of key players such as starting quarterback Jalon Daniels and playmaking wide receiver Lawrence Arnold.

“The whole offense is flying around with good high tempo. Everybody’s enjoying it,” Grimm said. “We got this thing that we’re doing right now just ‘ad all day’ like we’re just going to be there all day. You’re going to feel us all day.”

Grimm has also focused on return game drills, collaborating with coaches to hone his skills in this crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the game.

“Me and Trevor [Wilson] kick return, you know, going back and forth with it just with Coach [Jonathan] Wallace and Coach [Terrence] Samuel and Coach [Kelton] Copeland and every day just working different techniques,” Grimm said.

As he nears the end of his college career, Grimm and his fellow seniors are focused on making the most of their final season with the Jayhawks in 2024.

"The goal for us is just to make the most of this year, have as much fun as we can,” Grimm said. “We all came in here when we were 17, 18, and now we’re 22, 23. Just kind of growing up together and getting to have one last go-around, just having fun with each other.”