Lawrence Arnold, WR, Kansas
Size:
Height: 6’3" | Weight: 200 lbs
Accomplishments:
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List (2023) • 3-star recruit
“Lawrence Arnold is a wide receiver prospect who fits the mold of a prototypical big-body possession pass-catcher who creates favorable red-zone matchups.”
Strengths:
Contested-catch specialist
Prototypical possession receiver
Ball-tracking
Red-zone weapon
Concerns:
Route-running
Vertical explosiveness and speed to stretch the field
Generating natural separation
Film Analysis:
Lawrence Arnold has been the Kansas Jayhawks’ WR1 for the last two seasons. He operated as the outside receiver in the Jayhawks’ spread option offense. He offers a big frame to shield the DBs from the ball on inside-breaking routes. Arnold is a constant catch-point winner with his size and catch radius. He brings a true possession-style receiver to an offense.
Arnold is almost exclusively an outside receiver with few snaps in the slot throughout his career. He works best in the quick and intermediate pass game, where his frame and catch radius are effective at boxing out defenders. He wins the horizontal plane on mesh concepts and deeper dig routes. Arnold is a strong option for back-shoulder fades, slot fades, and contested catches. He pairs that tall frame and catch radius with good timing to high-point passes over the top of the DB.
Arnold is skilled at plucking the ball away from his frame, rarely dropping passes or giving the DB room to break it up. On slants and middle-of-the-field breaking routes, passes thrown out in front and leading him away from coverage present no issues as he is comfortable using full extension of his wingspan to reel it in. Arnold is a solid run-after-catch receiver and he is physical once the football is in his hands. He can power through arm tackles and is hard to overpower upon contact in the secondary.
Arnold is a good and willing run-blocker. Whether for his star RB Devin Neal or QB Jalon Daniels, he loves to seal defenders and spring them for big plays. In the screen game, he is a good stalk blocker on the perimeter to give his receiver/teammate the chance to gain positive yards upfield.
Natural separation is lacking from Arnold’s profile. He is an average route-runner who plays very high in his stems. He displays hip tightness, limiting how much separation he generates out of his breaks. He is not an explosive athlete who will threaten defensive coverage shells vertically. Do not expect him to win foot races on the outside, as he will have to win with body positioning and catch-point dominance. Arnold’s man coverage reps display the concern of separating from good athletes consistently—he lives in contested catch scenarios and I don’t know if that changes in the NFL.
Overall, Arnold projects as an outside possession receiver at the next level. He will be an impactful threat in the red zone due to his size, leaping ability, and ball skills. Arnold will fit in well with teams that use their outside receiver to attack the defense horizontally—crossers, slants, digs, etc. As for the developmental upside, he could become a Kenny Golladay-caliber receiver.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 – Role Specific Contributor
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: UNLV (2023), BYU (2023), Cincinnati (2023)
