Can Oklahoma Unlock Tight End Hayden Hansen’s Full Potential?

Hayden Hansen joins the Sooners with an impressive, 6-8, 269-pound frame, and he'll look to be more impactful than he was at Florida.

Florida Gators tight end Hayden Hansen (89) runs with the ball after a catch as Samford Bulldogs linebacker Jaden Mosley (33) defends during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Hayden Hansen never reached his full potential at Florida.

The tight end’s best season came in 2025, when he caught 30 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. In his three seasons with the Gators, Hansen totaled 611 yards and five touchdowns.

But there’s reason to believe that he’ll be impactful for Oklahoma.

Hansen committed to the Sooners in January and was just one piece to their overhaul at tight end. OU also signed tight ends Jack Van Dorselaer and Rocky Beers from the portal and hired NFL legend Jason Witten to be the new tight ends coach.

Hansen is departing from a Florida program that struggled offensively in 2025. 

The Gators averaged an SEC-low 21.6 points per game. They finished the year 4-8 and fired coach Billy Napier before the season’s conclusion.

Cam Parker, who covers UF athletics for Florida Gators On SI, wasn’t shocked to see Hansen depart from the program.

“The tight end room at Florida needed a massive reset, and with him only having one year of eligibility left, it made sense for him to spend his last season elsewhere,” Parker said. “Fair or not, he was a consistent recipient of criticism for the offense’s struggles in 2025 from the fanbase, which added to the fact that his transfer was not all that surprising in my eyes.”

Hansen stands 6-8 and weighs 269 pounds. Despite that impressive frame, Parker believes that the Gators didn’t properly utilize his size.

“Considering his size, it always felt like there was untapped potential that Florida could not channel for some reason,” Hansen said. “I’m excited to see what he can do at Oklahoma and if they can truly take advantage of his impressive size.”

Hansen’s run-blocking numbers weren’t stellar at Florida. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), the tight end logged a dismal 56.7 run-blocking grade in 2025, which was his best mark of his career.

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But Parker doesn’t believe that numbers tell the full story.

“He actually was considered Florida’s best blocker at tight end,” Parker said. “The low blocking grades make this seem ironic, but he was the best blocker in the room over the last three seasons.”

Ultimately, Parker believes that coaching lapses likely prevented Hansen from ever becoming the red-zone threat that should have, given his size.

“For an offense that prioritized using 12 personnel and using tight ends, development and recruiting at the position never seemed like a priority,” Parker said. “Another aspect of that is that Hansen had two tight end coaches at Florida, neither of whom had extensive experience coaching the position. It wasn’t really surprising to see the potential of players like Hansen to remain untapped because of the coaching miscues and offensive inefficiency.”

According to Parker, Hansen’s leadership stood out amid Florida’s struggles. The Gators went 17-20 during Hansen’s three seasons in Gainesville.

The tight end’s attitude and effort throughout the ups and downs at Florida is what leads Parker to believe that he could be more productive in Norman.

“Hansen added a veteran presence,” Parker said. “While there was some turnover with transfers and even career-ending injuries in the room, he has been a consistent face at the position and a vocal leader on the offense.”

Oklahoma will begin its 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.