Kansas and Arizona State are bringing two of the hottest receivers in the country into the same game, and that makes Reed Harris vs. Nik McMillan one of the cleanest individual matchups on the board.
Through two weeks, Pro Football Focus has Harris ranked No. 2 nationally at wide receiver and McMillan right behind him at No. 3. That kind of early-season production gives this showdown extra weight, because both players have already separated themselves as central figures in their offenses.
Harris has been a monster for Arizona State to open the year. The 6-foot-5 target has 15 catches for 326 yards and four touchdowns in two games, while averaging 21.7 yards per reception.
He’s already one of the most productive pass catchers in college football, and his Week 2 showing against Texas A&M only added to that case. In Arizona State’s loss, Harris hauled in nine passes for 189 yards, pushing his season yardage total to fourth nationally.
His four touchdowns are tied for fifth, and he has added 146 yards after the catch.
McMillan has been every bit as important for Kansas. The Buffalo transfer has posted eight receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns through two games, averaging 22.8 yards per catch and 91 yards per game. He has quickly become a major downfield option for quarterback Isaiah Marshall.
His Kansas debut against Long Island was as good as it gets. McMillan caught six passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and his 96.1 PFF grade made him the Jayhawks’ highest-graded player in the opener. He kept it going against Missouri, finishing with two catches for 52 yards and another score in Kansas’ 38-21 loss, including yet another explosive play that showed exactly why he has become such a dangerous weapon.
That’s what makes this matchup so compelling. Harris and McMillan both threaten defenses in the same ways - they can stretch the field, win contested balls and turn routine snaps into chunk gains.
Harris brings size and athleticism. McMillan brings downfield explosiveness.
With the No. 2 and No. 3 graded receivers in the country going head-to-head this early, both players have a chance to boost their national standing even more.
For Kansas, slowing Harris matters. For Arizona State, McMillan has to be contained.
And with both receivers producing at an elite level already, this one-on-one battle could wind up swinging the game.
In Other News...
Kansas Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Guard Fans Should Track
Parker McDaniel has been one of the more interesting guard names to watch as his stock has climbed through his first season on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. The South Central Prep guard from Tulsa has shown real growth on the defensive end, and that progress has helped him attract scholarship offers from Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Nebraska, giving him a growing list of major-conference options before his recruitment has even fully taken shape.
For Kansas, the appeal goes beyond just getting in early on a talented young guard. McDaniel has said he is excited about the offer and the way the staff has engaged with him, with assistant Jeremy Case helping build that relationship as the Jayhawks track his development. The next part of the story is how much more interest follows as McDaniel keeps building momentum, because the early signs suggest plenty of other programs will keep pushing into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Sands Gave Kansas Fans A Border War Moment To Be Proud Of
Long before kickoff for a Kansas-Missouri football game, Tony Sands was part of a very different kind of border war moment. The former Jayhawks running back was at a pregame tailgate when a fan began choking, and Sands, who has first-aid and CPR training, stepped in quickly to help. It was a reminder that some of the most important plays around a rivalry weekend happen well away from the field.
Sands' response mattered even more because it came so fast, in a situation where every second counted. After the incident, he later went on social media trying to track down the fan and make sure he was all right, turning a tense pregame scene into a small story of care and urgency that Kansas fans could feel good about. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Has One Defensive Problem It Must Fix Fast
Kansas defense came out of the Missouri game with one glaring issue still hanging over it: the pass coverage. The run defense was mostly sturdy aside from one long gain, but the Tigers found room through the air all afternoon, and the Jayhawks never managed to really disrupt the rhythm with pressure.
Coach D.K. McDonald pointed to the same chain reaction the numbers suggested, with coverage needing to hold long enough to make quarterbacks work deeper into their progressions before the rush can matter. Until that happens, Kansas is left trying to solve two problems at once, and the timing could hardly be worse with the season moving on quickly. [Read more 🡒]