Tight end Boden Groen has been a real surprise. To his coaches — and KU opponents
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tight end Boden Groen uses well-designed routes and timing to regularly get open.
- Kansas staff credits Groen’s recovery, IQ and versatility as key assets.
- A late portal addition from Rice, Groen now competes for KU’s starting role.
About once a game, Kansas tight end Boden Groen finds himself wide open without a defender in sight.
It even surprises him at times. In KU’s latest game, Groen caught an over-the-shoulder pass from quarterback Jalon Daniels, making a slight adjustment to score a touchdown.
“You get the ball, turn up and you go, ‘Oh, crap, I got 15-20 yards here,’” Groen said. “You get excited about that and then start thinking about what I’m going to do.”
He wouldn’t share exactly how he finds himself so open.
“Z’s (offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski) always drawing up those little plays,” Groen said. “Don’t want to give anything away, but he’s confusing the defense and it’s worked out nicely for me. So I’m very thankful for that.”
Groen has surprised many in the Jayhawks program, including coach Lance Leipod. The Rice transfer was a late pickup in the transfer portal in May after tight end Keyan Burnett returned to Arizona.
He’s made 10 receptions for 171 yards and hauled in two touchdowns. Groen has done that despite being one of four tight ends that the Jayhawks regularly use.
“We had to go back to the portal after a defection in the summer,” Leipold said. “We were hoping for the best, didn’t know with him coming off injury what we’d really get, and really (were) hoping for depth. And right now, he’s putting himself in a good position to be a starter.
“He’s extremely smart. He’s picked things up. I mean, that adjustment on that touchdown catch was really a cool thing to watch. It was a thing of beauty watching him adjust his body to make that play.”
Zebrowski was also in awe of the touchdown.
“It feels like the Mason Fairchild, Jared Casey experience again, man, doesn’t it?” Zebrowski said. “He’s done a really great job.”
Leipold noted last week that the Jayhawks didn’t know what to expect as Groen was returning from surgery. The Rice transfer suffered a labral tear in his shoulder last season and underwent surgery for it in October.
“It (the recovery) was long because I wasn’t playing football and I didn’t do spring (ball) or anything like that,” he told The Star. “I felt good, really, 2-3 months after surgery and getting the strength back, but really just going out there for fall camp that first time and hitting people, holding onto (them) and doing all those different things.
“I was just so pleasantly surprised with how stable everything felt and comfortable. It felt like nothing even happened.”
Groen noted that he transferred to Kansas due to its track record of successful tight ends in recent years. That said, KU had a total of two touchdown catches from tight ends in 2024.
“I wasn’t worried about it, personally, because it’s really about being a part of a great team,” he said. “I’m not necessarily worried about how many targets or how many catches or anything. I want to go out there and block my (behind) off and prove that I can do that just as well.”
