Oklahoma’s tight ends room for the 2026 season not only just got a lot better, it got a lot taller.
Former Florida tight end Hayden Hansen, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 269 pounds, has committed to Oklahoma. The news of Hansen’s commitment to the Sooners was first shared by On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Sunday afternoon.
Hansen caught 30 passes for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns this past season for Florida, despite the Gators’ general struggles on offense and despite the inconsistencies of quarterback DJ Lagway. The 30 catches and 254 yards were both career-highs for Hansen, who was durable, too, starting all 12 of Florida’s games in 2025.
He will take that durability to Norman after making 33 consecutive starts for the Gators during his 4-year stint in Gainesville.
Hansen doubled his receptions total from the 2024 season, when he caught 15 passes for 207 yards and 1 touchdown. During his redshirt freshman season in 2023, Hansen caught 12 passes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Weatherford, Texas, product redshirted during his true freshman season in 2022, not seeing the field at all.
Now, he’ll be staying in the SEC to play for Brent Venables at Oklahoma, which unlike Florida is coming off a memorable season as the Sooners earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Hansen hopes to build on his success at Florida with an Oklahoma program that is surging into 2026.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
