Deshawn Hanika Injury: Which Kansas Football Tight Ends Will Step Up?

Kansas football will be without its top tight end option for the remainder of the season, head coach Lance Leipold announced during his press conference on Monday.

Former Iowa State standout Deshawn Hanika is set to miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign after undergoing season-ending surgery.

"DeShawn, unfortunately, his season is ended," Leipold said about Hanika. "Quality young man. Feel for him. Everything that he sacrificed to get himself back to play."

Lance Leipold states DeShawn Hanika had surgery and is done for the season. Said it's a bummer for a great young man who worked hard to come back.

The hope is Daniel Hishaw Jr. will return this season. #KUfball
— Michael Swain (@MSwain247) October 6, 2025

Hanika transferred to Kansas in the 2023 offseason but tore his Achilles tendon prior to last season. He worked his way back from that injury to become one of KU's top leaders on offense this season, only to go down in Week 5 against Cincinnati with another injury.

Across five games, he had caught 10 passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns. His best game came against Missouri, where he recorded six catches and 74 yards for a pair of scores.

Hanika missed the entirety of the 2023 season due to his involvement in Iowa State's sports gambling probe and subsequently made his way to Lawrence.

Unfortunately, he was only able to play five games as a Jayhawk across two seasons as he dealt with recurring injury trouble. It remains to be seen whether he will apply for a medical redshirt, but he already redshirted a season ago with his Achilles tear.

Who Will Step Up in Deshawn Hanika’s Place?

KU has three other tight end options who are viable candidates to receive more targets.

Rice transfer Boden Groen has already made his presence felt in the past two weeks, recording seven receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown in the past two games against UC and UCF. He is the best pass catcher remaining from the tight end group.

Redshirt freshman Carson Bruhn has also received plenty of playing time, specializing as a blocker and often serving as a short-yardage target for quarterback Jalon Daniels. He has reeled in five balls for 55 yards through the first six games of the year.

The other tight end option is Leyton Cure, who primarily serves as a blocker.

The Jayhawks' other tight ends on the roster are Jaden Hamm, Quinton Conley, and Conlee Hovey, though they have yet to see collegiate action.

Hanika's absence will be a detrimental blow to the offense, especially considering Daniels often targets his tight ends. However, options like Groen and Bruhn make the loss somewhat manageable moving forward.