Jaren Kanak

PRO: The Titans selected Jaren Kanak in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2-inch, 234-pounder is a versatile athlete who lined up at linebacker and most recently at tight end with the Sooners.  The speedster was also a core special teamer during his Oklahoma career. The Hays, Kan., native played four seasons (2022-25) in Norman and saw action in 52 career games with 23 starts.

TITANS TIDBITS:
• Kanak's first job was as a ranch hand on his grandfather's homestand when he was growing up, which included the difficult task of cleaning grain bins. He has also been employed as a house painter.
• Kanak has a wiener dog named Burger.
• Kanak lost his father, Jason, in a tragic car accident when he was just four years old. During the transition to tight end as a senior at Oklahoma, Kanak had to switch numbers because a member of the offense already had his defensive jersey number 7. He chose jersey number 12 because that's the number his father wore in high school.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS:  
• The Hays, Kan., native was selected by the Titans in the seventh round (225th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE: 
• Saw action in 52 games with 23 starts over four seasons (2022-25) at Oklahoma. Spent the first three seasons in the Sooners program as a linebacker and recorded 103 tackles, two sacks, seven stops for loss, two passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Moved to tight end as a senior in 2025 and was named third team All-SEC in his final collegiate campaign after starting all 13 games and posting 44 catches for 533 yards.

AS A SENIOR (2025), transitioned to tight end and earned All-SEC third team honors by the league's coaches.  Started all 13 games at tight end and tallied 44 receptions for 533 yards.  Notched at least one reception in every game, at least three receptions in nine games and at least four receptions six times.
• Against Illinois State (8/30), registered five catches for a career-high 90 yards with a long of 48 yards in the season opener.
• Against Auburn (9/20), caught four passes for 62 yards.
• Against Louisiana State (11/29), registered a career-high six catches for 54 yards
• Against Alabama (12/19), had four catches for 22 yards in the College Football Playoff first round.

AS A JUNIOR (2024), played in all 13 games with one start at the "Cheetah" position.  Played primarily as a backup linebacker and on special teams and notched 17 tackles.
• Against Temple (8/30), registered two tackles and returned a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown on punt coverage in season opener.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2023), played in all 13 games with all nine starts coming in season's first nine games.  Ranked fourth on team with 62 total tackles and tallied six stops for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, two passes defensed and five quarterback hurries.  
• Against Southern Methodist (9/9), finished with four tackles, a career-high two passes defensed to go along with a quarterback hurry.
• At Tulsa (9/16), registered five tackles, including a career-best two stops for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
• Against Texas (10/7), led the team with 13 tackles, including a sack.

AS A FRESHMAN (2022), played as a reserve in all 13 games, primarily on special teams and in a backup role at linebacker.  Totaled 24 tackles, a stop for loss, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
• Against Texas El-Paso (9/3), tallied four stops and a quarterback hurry in collegiate debut.
• At Nebraska (9/17), led the team with career-high 10 tackles, forced and recovered a fumble and recorded a quarterback hurry.
• Graduated with a degree in communication from Oklahoma in the summer of 2025.

PERSONAL:  
• Attended Hays (Kan.) High School and was a consensus four-star prospect and the consensus No. 1-ranked recruit in the state of Kansas. Finished third all-time in school history in rushing yards (2,072) and scoring (216 points).
• As a senior (2021), played quarterback and linebacker and set single-season school records for rushing yards (1,615) and scoring (142 points). Averaged 10.2 yards per carry with 23 rushing touchdowns and threw for 910 yards and 12 touchdowns. Earned 2021 Brook Berringer Award as 11-Man Player of the Year in western Kansas and named to the 2021 Kansas Football Coaches Association All-Senior 5A All-State & Super 11 teams.
• His 60-yard touchdown run against Maize High School in 5A quarterfinals was MaxPrep's No. 1 national high school play of 2021.
• Played primarily as a wide receiver on offense prior to his senior season.
• As a junior (2020), saw action in eight games and posted 673 receiving yards with eight touchdowns. Also returned punts and kickoffs.
• Competed in track and field at Hays (100, 200 and 400 meters and long jump). Ran a 10.37 in the 100 meters at 2021 conference championships (sixth-fastest time in state history). Posted personal bests of 22.06 in the 200 meters and 51.90 in the 400 meters.
• Son of Lisa McGrath and the late Jason Kanak. Has a stepfather, Scott McGrath; three sisters, Lynsi Kanak, Layci McGrath and Lilian McGrath and a brother, Benton McGrath.
• Enjoys art, including drawing.
• Name is pronounced JAIR-in CAN-ick.
• Follow Kanak on Instagram at @jarenkanak and on X at @kanakjaren.
• Born Jaren Alyn Kanak on Feb. 10, 2004 in Hays, Kan.