LAWRENCE — Kansas State football recently suffered an injury to another key player who could be on the 2024 roster.
Redshirt senior tight end and Topeka native Deshawn Hanika will miss the remainder of the Jayhawks' spring practice due to injury. Hanika transferred from Iowa State, another Big 12 Conference program, during the offseason. And in turn, the pressure will be on his other teammates to step up and take on the responsibilities that would otherwise fall on him.
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“Deshaun will be out for the rest of the spring with a foot injury,” Leipold said Tuesday. “He had surgery, but that's as far as I'd like to go with it right now.”
Hanika is someone who garnered positive reviews early on in spring ball. Senior tight end Jared Casey once praised Hanika's speed and athleticism to reporters. Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Jeff Grimes previously described Hanika as a passionate, driven and coachable player who has taken the time to learn Kansas' system.
In terms of who he can rely on, Casey and senior tight end Trevor Cardel are two of Leipold's top names. The duo has played a lot of football for the Jayhawks in the past. And redshirt sophomore tight end Quinton Conley and redshirt senior tight end Tevita Ahoafi-Noah are two more who Leipold mentioned could get more reps. .
Kansas can also address this issue on the ground by focusing on different personnel groups. With a deep and wide receiver room, the Jayhawks have the potential to take advantage of it more than they otherwise would. Time will tell how much Hanika's injury will impact what Leipold and the team are trying to do this year.
“I'm on the road to recovery!” Hanika said Monday in a social media post on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out and offered love and support! Thank you to my teammates, coaches and staff for getting us through this difficult time. We can do what we can to attack this rehabilitation process. I promise to do my best!”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics for the Topeka Capital Journal. He has been named the National Sports Media Association's 2022 Kansas Sportswriter of the Year. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or @JordanGuskey on Twitter.
