From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak.
NO. 12 JAREN KANAK/TE/OKLAHOMA– 6020, 234 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jaren Kanak 6020/234 9 3/8 30 1/2 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.52 1.61 DNP DNP
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’11″ 36″ 24
THE GOOD
-Has some good wiggle after the catch
-Flashes strong hands and good eye-hand coordination to make plays outside of his frame
-Suddenness within his routes, allowing him to shake loose and create separation
-Plays with good tempo and feel within his routes, especially on crossing routes; knows when to sit in soft spots
-Utilized as a gadget weapon in big spots in lone season as TE for the Sooners
-Provides special teams value as a former linebacker
THE BAD
-Undersized for the tight end position with limited reach/catch radius
-Rarely asked to play with his hand in the dirt; more of a detached TE
-Needs to add play strength as a blocker; won’t create much movement when asked to block
-Oklahoma took him off the field in run situations often; raises questions about potential H-back/FB role in NFL
-Limited route tree in one year as TE; long-term project
STATS
-2025 stats: 44 receptions for 533 yards in 13 games
-Played 39 games at linebacker in his first three seasons: finished with 104 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and one touchdown
-Had a 21-yard fumble return for touchdown on special teams against Temple in 2024 season opener
-Named All-SEC third team by coaches in 2025 season
INJURY HISTORY
-Suffered a chest injury in 2023 against Cincinnati that required hospitalization
BACKGROUND
-Born on February 10, 2004
-Former 4-star recruit out of Hays, Kansas
-Was the No. 1 player in Kansas at Hays High School
-Played quarterback and linebacker in high school and is program’s single-season record holder in rushing yards and points scored
-Chose Oklahoma over Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and more
-Ran track and field in high school in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump
-Played linebacker first three years at Oklahoma, primarily on special teams
-Started just 10 games defensively, with nine coming in 2023
-Switched to tight end in spring ball ahead of 2025 season; played some wide receiver in high school before switching to QB as senior
-Graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in communications
-Competed in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
-Combine invite
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak has had quite the winding road to get to where he is on the cusp of reaching the NFL. He was once a record-setting run-first quarterback in high school and one of the best players in Kansas before then heading to Oklahoma to play linebacker. Three years later, he switched to tight end for his final season and is now trying to crack the NFL as a versatile pass-catcher and special-teams piece.
Though Kanak had a productive 2025 season in his switch to tight end, hauling in 44 passes for 533 yards, he’s undersized for the position and wasn’t able to find the end zone in his lone season as a pass catcher for the Sooners. Still, he showed the ability to make some big plays in the passing game, particularly over the middle, making plays outside of his limited frame.
This catch against Michigan in the second game of the season was very impressive.
It’s not an accurate throw by the quarterback, but Kanak was able to bail him out with great eye-hand coordination, making the play outside his frame by tipping the ball to himself for an explosive play.
Even though he’s undersized, the linebacker in him comes out over the middle. He’s unafraid to operate in that area of the field and take a hit to make a play.
Kanak shows some strength here as a route runner to power through the holding call, too, allowing him to get into the middle of the field between the linebacker and the safety to give his quarterback an option.
It’s a high throw, but Kanak goes up and makes the play and takes a hit in the process, moving the chains.
The route tree is limited for Kanak, but he flashed some suddenness in his game as a route runner and showed the ability to separate late in his routes.
Here against Temple last season, I love the way he’s able to win at the top of his stem and burst outside, creating separation to make the big catch. His quarterback very clearly trusted him early in the season, and Kanak rewarded him with plays like this.
Kanak brings some wiggle to the table after the catch, too. He’s not going to run over people, but he showed the ability to make guys miss in space, running through arm tackle attempts and using spacing and angles to cause defenders to miss.
Against Illinois State in the first clip, Kanak does a nice job of recovering in his route after being bumped off by the linebacker. He’s wide open working back into the middle of the field and then adds another 10-15 yards after the catch by stepping through the initial tackle.
Then, in the clip against LSU, he’s able to step around linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., turning a short throw to the flat into a first down. He’s not going to blow people away with his speed and athleticism, but he has underrated wiggle after the catch.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the production that Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak had in his one and only year at the position in college was intriguing. He showed the ability to make plays over the middle and has some wiggle after the catch. But he’s undersized for the position and was rarely asked to do much as a blocker.
He very rarely lined up as an in-line guy and didn’t play with his hand in the dirt. Blocking just isn’t part of his game right now, but I think he could eventually be an H-back/FB style player. He has the linebacker background, so physicality isn’t an issue. He just needs to be coached up. He reminds me a lot of undrafted free agent tight end Trey Burton, who was undersized coming out of Florida in 2014 but carved out a nice career.
NFL Projection: Undrafted Free Agent
Steelers Depot Grade: 5.8 (Fringe Roster Player)
Grade Range: 5.6-6.4
Games Watched: Illinois State (2025), Michigan (2025), Temple (2025), Auburn (2025), LSU (2025), Alabama (2025)
Recommended for you