BEVO BEAT Football
Top opponents for Texas in 2017, No. 51: Kansas WR Steven Sims Jr.
Posted July 13th, 2017
The countdown to kickoff is on. Over the 100 days before Texas takes on Maryland, we’re counting down the 100 best players the Longhorns will face in 2017. This series is all about impressing your friends at pregame tailgates and watch parties, so grab a notepad and buckle up.
Who is he?
Unlike fellow Kansas wide receivers Daylon Charlot (Alabama) and LaQuvionte Gonzalez (Texas A&M), Steven Sims Jr. wasn’t a big-time recruit. The Jayhawks were his big-time, the only Power 5 offer received by a three-star recruit out of Fort Bend Travis in the Houston area. Yet Sims, the No. 2,110-ranked recruit in the Class of 2015, caught 72 passes for 859 yards last season. He’ll be expected to lead a talented (yes, you read that right) Jayhawks receiving corps in 2017.
What should the Longhorns watch for?
Sims isn’t flashy, but Texas already knows how destructive he can be. In the game that sealed Charlie Strong’s fate, Sims made two crucial plays. Neither involved catching a pass. He juked Longhorns safety Dylan Haines out of his shoes for a two-point conversion, then batted what looked to be a sure interception away from Kris Boyd in the dying seconds of regulation. What Sims (5-foot-10, 176 pounds) lacks in size, he makes up for with a high football IQ and sure hands.
Previous encounters
In addition to the game-changing plays mentioned above, Sims caught seven passes for 79 yards in last year’s meeting.
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