Sep 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Rice Owls tight end Boden Groen (14) checks with the sideline in the second quarter at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Transfer Portal Tight End With Power 4 Interest Visits Kansas

Originally posted on Kansas Jayhawks on SI
By Joshua Schulman | Last updated May 12, 2025 10:30 AM ET

After Keyan Burnett flipped from the Kansas Jayhawks back to Arizona, Lance Leipold’s squad has been in dire need of tight end depth.

With the departures of Jared Casey and Trevor Kardell to graduation, DeShawn Hanika is the only remaining scholarship tight end with true NCAA experience on the roster.

Unsurprisingly, the Jayhawks are searching for new options wherever they can find them, and they might have found their Burnett replacement in Boden Groen.

Groen, a transfer from Rice, reportedly visited Kansas this past Thursday and Friday.

Rice tight end transfer Boden Groen is visiting Kansas today and tomorrow, his agent @viennatalent tells @mzenitz.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Groen had 51 catches the last two seasons at Rice and is the top ranked uncommitted tight end in the portal. pic.twitter.com/irNB7NRhNn
— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) May 8, 2025

A JUCO product, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end spent the past three years at Rice before entering the portal as a graduate. He amassed 60 receptions, 556 yards, and three touchdowns during his tenure with the Owls.

Although he was limited to just four games in 2024 due to an injury, Groen will return to the field next season with one year of eligibility remaining.

Groen took a visit to Wisconsin prior to his trip to Lawrence and has received interest from other Power 4 schools like Michigan State, Duke, and Pittsburgh.

According to 247 Sports, Groen is the highest-ranked uncommitted tight end transfer in the country.

Currently, the Jayhawks are banking on Hanika to be the team's top pass-catching tight end. Hanika initially transferred to Kansas after being suspended from Iowa State for the entire 2023 campaign, but he missed last season with a torn Achilles.

Leyton Cure is projected as the second-string tight end on the depth chart, with Jaden Hamm and Carson Bruhn trailing.

Groen may not be a flashy player, but he would certainly be a welcome addition to the Jayhawks this late in the transfer portal cycle.

This article first appeared on Kansas Jayhawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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