You have to feel bad for Kansas football tight end DeShawn Hanika. He was given an extra year of eligibility due to an injury he suffered last year when he was with Iowa State. Now, after an injury sustained early in the Cincinnati game, he is out for the year, and his college career is most likely finished.
At the time of his injury, his 10 catches for 97 yards and three touchdowns were the most of any tight end on the roster. The positional unit not only lost its leader, but also the comfortable depth the Jayhawks had there.
Boden Groen and Carson Bruhn are already stepping up their production for Kansas football
Groen, who is a redshirt senior transfer from Rice, has already stepped up his game since Hanika’s injury. Over the past two games, Groen has seven catches for 147 yards with one touchdown.
Against UCF, he only had two grabs, but they went for 63 yards, as he’s proving he can be used downfield a little bit and that he can gain yardage after the catch.
Hanika’s unfortunate injury opens the door for more playing time for redshirt freshman Carson Bruhn. Going into the UCF game last week, Bruhn only had two receptions for 28 yards. Against the Knights, he pulled in two more balls for 24 yards.
With Groen moving up to TE1, Bruhn is set to slide into the role as the primary backup to Groen. KU uses multiple tight end sets on occasion, so these two will likely play together at times. Bruhn should get plenty of opportunities to make plays during the second half of the season.
The added playing time will increase his on-field experience and speed up his development. He’s already showing flashes of being a talented player, and the added playing time will not only help the Jayhawks this season, but it is sure to prepare him for future seasons better.
As a redshirt freshman, getting as many snaps as he’s sure to see going forward, combined with how he’s already contributing, should excite KU fans for the future.
Going into the season, tight end looked like a possible weak spot, but now, it is a strong enough unit that it can overcome the loss of someone like Hanika because of the talented depth that has emerged in Groen and Bruhn.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see each of these tight ends become more and more involved in the passing game as the season progresses. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is building his trust and chemistry with both, and that will be a positive for the offense the rest of the season.
Hanika’s injury was unfortunate, and he will be missed, but it is nice to see that the Jayhawks have a surprising amount of depth at tight end to step up and fill his shoes.