Kansas football’s star transfer — from Alabama — is finally breaking out
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- Kansas gained 597 yards but lost 37-34 to Cincinnati in a Big 12 thriller.
- Emmanuel Henderson posted 214 receiving yards and two long touchdown catches.
- Jalon Daniels recorded 500 total yards, including 445 passing and four TDs.
Led by quarterback Jalon Daniels and receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr., the Kansas football team accumulated a robust 597 yards against Cincinnati on Saturday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, who fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12, the Bearcats (3-1, 1-0) went for 603 yards, including 75 yards in just over a minute on their final possession of a 37-34 victory.
Henderson, a senior transfer from Alabama, did not join the portion of a sellout crowd of 41,425 that blamed this one solely on the ‘D,’ which was shredded by Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The former Indiana Hoosier from Denton, Texas, completed 29 of 43 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns and added 52 rushing yards on 13 carries.
“I love the way this team stays together. We don’t blame it on anybody,” Henderson said, supporting the players on defense after catching five passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns — electrifying receptions of 93 and 75 yards.
“This is going to fuel the fire. We’re ready to get back to work and continue to get this thing going,” Henderson added.
His 214 receiving yards accounted for the fifth best total by a receiver in KU history. It was the most yards by a KU receiver in a game since Steven Sims went for 233 yards off nine catches against Kansas State in 2017. The KU record is 269 yards receiving off 12 catches by Dezmon Briscoe vs. Oklahoma in 2008.
“I’m a team player. None of those stats mean anything without a win. We’ve just got to continue to come back to work,” Henderson stated.
Daniels completed 19 of 28 passes for 445 yards and four TDs. His 6-yard strike to a wide-open Levi Wentz gave the Jayhawks a 34-30 lead with 1 minute, 45 seconds left in the game. It looked like it would be the game-winner until Cincy marched on its 10-play, game-winning 75-yard drive.
“(At that point) I didn’t really think too much ahead,” Henderson said. “I just continue to take each play one by one and continue to work through the game. I just celebrated with him after he got his touchdown.”
Asked how his teammate was so wide open on such a key play in the game, Henderson said: “Executing the play.”
Henderson scored the game’s first touchdown ... on KU’s first offensive play of the day. Daniels faked a handoff to Leshon Williams (64 yards, 10 carries) then hit Henderson on a sideline route. Henderson caught the ball at the KU 40 and raced all the way untouched for the 93-yard score. It was the fourth longest reception for a TD in school history.
Last time KU scored on its first offensive touch was in 2014 against Central Michigan, on a 74-yard touchdown run. It was the longest opening play from scrimmage in all of FBS since 2014 (LSU vs. Sam Houston State). It’s also the longest first play from scrimmage in the Big 12 since at least 2003.
Henderson’s second TD catch erased a 27-20 deficit with 8:44 left in the third quarter. Again he caught it at the KU 40, sprinting for a TD that quickly answered a Cincy score that had given the Bearcats a seven-point lead with 8:54 left in the third.
“It makes me excited. I know the firepower that we have,” Daniels said of connecting on the explosive plays.
“I feel J.D. can trust the wideouts. When our name is called, any wideout can go out there and execute the play. Anybody in the wideout room is athletic and anybody can go out there and make those plays that were executed today,” Henderson said.
KU coach Lance Leipold recognized Henderson as having a huge game.
“Pretty explosive day,” Leipold said. “The first play of the game was exciting and again when we score early, I don’t know, is it a confidence thing? I don’t know if we’re doing a good enough job there. Obviously he had another big play in the second half that got us going. He’s played some really good football for us and he and Jalon make a good combination. I thought all in all our receivers had a good day. I think different guys stepped up and made plays for us, and again we knew it would be tough in some ways just to consistently run the ball on them,” Leipold added.
The offense was productive but not perfect. Daniels, whose 500 yards of total offense (445 passing, 55 rushing) was the fourth highest single game total in KU history (second-best mark in Daniels’ career) lost a key fumble at the Cincinnati 1-yard-line with 12:08 left. The fumble prevented KU from taking a 34-30 lead at the time.
“I don’t really know too much what happened, but we’ve just got to execute and get better,” Henderson said.
“He’s a great player. Everybody knows. He does his thing. He showed you all what he usually can do (in gaining 500 all purpose yards).”
Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) will meet Iowa State at noon Saturday at Cincy. KU, meanwhile, will meet UCF at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, in Florida.
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Kansas football’s star transfer — from Alabama — is finally breaking out."
