When the 2025 Kansas football season started, in head coach Lance Leipold’s press conference heading into a week zero matchup, there were a number of tight ends listed with the tag “or.” This was explained by Leipold as a way to say each tight end would get their shot in certain sets, emphasizing that he wanted consistency from this corps so defenses would not be able to tell the Jayhawks’ play just because they knew who was in the game.
As this season has gone on, one name has continuously excelled.
Rice transfer Boden Groen. Last season for the Rice Owls, Groen caught 12 passes for 94 yards in the first four games before an injury at Army ended his season. In Groen’s 29 games for the Owls, the now redshirt senior had totaled 60 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns.
After making an unexpected transfer to the Jayhawks, little thought that Groen was going to become the consistent playmaker he has.
“Boden Gron's been, you know, a real fine addition to this team,” quoted Leipold.
“When we had to go back to the portal after a defection in the Summer, we were hoping for the best. Didn't know with him coming off injury, what we'd really get and really was hoping for depth. And right now, he's putting himself in a good position to be a starter. And he's extremely smart. He's picked things up. I mean, that adjustment on that touchdown catch was really it was really a cool thing to watch. It was a thing of beauty watching him adjust his body make that play. And he continues to gain confidence…he played the most snaps of the tight ends, and, you know, we'll see where that rotation takes us next week.”
So far this season, Groen has made 10 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. One thing that has helped Groen excel is his ability to adapt to what is needed. For his first touchdown of the season in a blowout 41-10 over West Virginia, Groen did a fantastic job ghosting himself in the middle of a fray at the heart of the play just to slide himself to the boundary for a wide-open pass and catch.
Boden Groen for SIX https://t.co/Q58EabhzZO pic.twitter.com/jNQF9bKYfF
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) September 27, 2025
Groen’s soft hands has made him a threat everywhere on the field. His 17.1 yards per reception is second on the team (min.10 receptions), just behind Emmanuel Henderson Jr, who has compiled 18.9 yards per catch, proving that Groen is a threat beyond just the redzone.
Expect to see offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski and co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Matt Lubick continue to scheme for Groen to make big plays.