Matt Lubick on TE versatility, Kansas’ leadership, coaching with Zebrowski

Matt Lubick rejoined the staff this off-season, working as the co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach after previously serving as an offensive analyst from 2022-2023. Lubick spoke to the media on Tuesday about the versatility in the tight ends room, the work Kansas accomplished in the summer due to its leader’s efforts, and the opportunity to coach with Jim Zebrowski again.

Tight ends have various strengths, Boden Groen picking things up quickly

The Jayhawks’ tight ends may have similar physical traits, ranging from 6-3 to 6-6 at around 250 pounds, but they have a diverse set of skills on the football field. Lubick said some players are better in certain areas than others, and it’s his job to find where they fit.

“We’re very diverse. We always ask our guys—you don’t want your guys to be able to do everything—but some guys are better at certain things than others,” Lubick said. “That’s our job as coaches, to put them in the right places. That’s the whole thing when you do a scheme—it’s playing to people’s strengths. And we’ve got a lot of guys that have various strengths.”

Kansas’ tight ends are asked to be skilled both as a blocker and a receiving threat. The newest addition to the room, Rice transfer Boden Groen, has shown off both of those skill sets.

“He has a lot of experience, played for two years,” Lubick said. “Rice asked a lot of him. They have a big play menu, so he had to know a lot of material and handled it really well. We had really good intel from the Rice coaches—not only is he a good player, but what a great person and what a good culture fit he would be. And he’s been that and more.”

Groen put together two strong years of production at Rice, including finishing second among AAC tight ends with 39 receptions in 2023, before an injury shortened his 2024 campaign. He arrived in the summer and has picked things up quickly.

“He’s picked it up way faster than I thought. He’s done a great job,” Lubick said. “We’re repping him in the first huddle, and he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s been very mentally sound. He’s physical, he’s athletic. I knew—well, we knew—he would be a good football player, but the fact that he’s picked it up so fast and he’s able to rep with the ones is pretty impressive.”

Leadership instrumental in strong summer progress

Matt Gildersleeve and others have spoken about the progress Kansas was able to make in its summer program, both on and off the field. The coaches have a limited time with the players, but Lubick said the quarterbacks “drove the bus” through player-led work.

“They did a great job of player-led practices. When we came back here in the fall, it was pretty amazing to see the retention,” Lubick said. “I really give credit to those guys—their work ethic and what they did in the summertime on their own. It was very intentional. So we really feel like we’re coaching these guys like they’re a very experienced group, and we’re doing a lot of things.”

Lubick mentioned DeShawn Hanika and Jalon Daniels as two strong leaders for the Jayhawks. Both are entering their sixth seasons in college football, and they’ve been drivers of the culture.

“They’re the best examples when they drive the culture and show guys what to do by what they’re doing—not always talking about it, but just being a good example,” Lubick said. “Whether it’s effort, being on time, how to study, or doing the extra. A lot of stuff started in the summertime, but I think we have really good leadership here.”

Reuniting with Jim Zebrowski

Zebrowski and Lubick have a strong relationship, and the two were instrumental in Kansas’ strong offenses in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Lubick said working with Zebrowski was one of the reasons he wanted to come back to Kansas, and he’s learned a lot from him.

“I love his creativity, but he’s not only creative—he’s very detailed,” Lubick said. “And his work ethic—he drives the bus with his work ethic. It’s been a good experience for me, and I’ve learned a lot.”

Zebrowski described the duo as “offensive play junkies.” They understand each other’s preferences and willingly try new things.

“As a coach, we’re always trying to learn and get better—not afraid to look at new schemes or different things that have worked well somewhere else,” Lubick said. “We’ve got a lot of experience on the offensive staff. There are a lot of different ways to do things, and a lot of guys have had success doing various different things, but you still have to be able to put it together and be efficient and know when to draw the line. I think he’s done a really good job of that.”