The Kansas football team will have a new weapon for quarterback Jalon Daniels next season when tight end DeShawn Hanika comes to town.
Hanika, an Iowa State transfer, announced his commitment to join KU on social media Monday morning. He had declared on Nov. 27 his intention to enter the transfer portal and, in the weeks since, had reported scholarship offers from schools such as Colorado, Houston, UConn and Vanderbilt, plus a host of Group of Five options.
The Topeka native, who wrote that he received his offer from KU following an in-home visit with KU general manager Rob Ianello, ultimately decided to stay close to home and head to Lawrence.
Hanika is listed at 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds and will have one year of eligibility remaining. A Hayden alumnus, he joined the Cyclones from Butler Community College ahead of the 2020 season. He played primarily on special teams for two years before leading ISU’s tight ends with 17 receptions for 244 yards in 2022, adding four touchdowns along the way.
In 2023, he was one of a host of Iowa and Iowa State players charged as part of a state investigation into illegal sports betting. The Associated Press reported, citing court documents, that Hanika allegedly “made 288 wagers totaling $1,262 between March 2022 and April 2023 through DraftKings, with 70 of the bets on ISU basketball games.” He was charged with tampering with records for concealing that he was betting while under 21, but he had the misdemeanor tampering with records charge dismissed on Oct. 2 after prosecutors missed their deadline to file an indictment. He ultimately did not play for the Cyclones this season.
Jeff Grimes, KU’s new offensive coordinator, will be in line to serve as Hanika’s position coach after leading the tight ends at Baylor. Hanika enters during a time of turnover in that room, with longtime starter Mason Fairchild graduating; however, the Jayhawks are expected to return Jared Casey and Trevor Kardell next year.
Redshirt sophomore tight end Will Huggins entered the transfer portal last week, freeing up a scholarship slot at the position. The addition of Hanika is consistent with what head coach Lance Leipold articulated as KU’s portal philosophy at a press conference Saturday.
“We’ve allotted our high school scholarships that are committed to go to the seniors that are departing; we try to (do) one for one, in and out,” he said. “Then when you lose somebody in the portal, you have to look at replacing at that position.
“Now does that mean we’re not looking at all positions? (No), because you don’t know when you’re going to be surprised or something.”
So far, though, no one else on scholarship has entered the portal for KU besides Huggins.
AP Photo/Justin Hayworth
