photo by: AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

Rice tight end Boden Groen, front, catches a touchdown pass as Tulane defensive back DJ Douglas defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Houston.

Rice transfer Boden Groen has committed to Kansas, his agent Evan Pobuta of Vienna Talent confirmed to the Journal-World on Monday afternoon.

Groen will be playing what is expected to be his final season of college football. He played just four games due to injury in 2024 and redshirted, but during the 2023 season Groen caught 39 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns. In all, he has 60 catches for 556 yards at the Division I level after beginning his career at Saddleback College, a junior college in California.

The native of Santa Ana, California, who attended powerhouse Mater Dei High School, did not play in the 2020 season for Saddleback as it was canceled due to the pandemic, but then caught 14 passes for 152 yards in 2021 before transferring to Rice the following year. This time around in the transfer portal, he reportedly visited Wisconsin before checking out and ultimately committing to KU.

The acquisition of Groen allows KU to fill a hole at tight end after Arizona transfer and potential major contributor Keyan Burnett left the Jayhawks after a few months in Lawrence to return to the Wildcats. KU is already known for deploying multiple tight ends, and co-offensive coordinator Matt Lubick now has another experienced pass catcher at his disposal to pair with veteran DeShawn Hanika and Leyton Cure, both transfers who arrived at KU prior to the 2024 season, though Hanika did not play due to injury.

Also in the mix at the position further down the depth chart are Carson Bruhn, Jaden Hamm and Quinton Conley.

Groen is the Jayhawks’ fifth transfer addition of the spring window after defensive ends Alex Bray (Illinois) and Leroy Harris III (Chattanooga), as well as cornerback Syeed Gibbs (Georgia Tech) and offensive tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. (Syracuse).