Tanner Koziol to Jacksonville was meant to be long before the tight end knew it.
Tanner Koziol of the Jacksonville Jaguars practices during rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center on May 09, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. Chalk it up to the family dog, Jaxxson.
Yes, almost the same first name as Jacksonville’s mascot, Jaxson de Ville.
“I mean, God works in mysterious ways, man. God always likes to throw little hints that he’s there,” Koziol said after Wednesday’s second minicamp of the offseason.
“I got drafted…they were like ‘to the Jags’, my friend goes, Jaxxson. My dog was right there…He’s 2 years old. a long time before so it’s kind of crazy how that plays out. ” Well before Koziol was a target of NFL teams, he was an emerging tight end at Ball State University pulling in passes at the volume of a No. 1 receiver.
Off the field, Koziol was also a big-time animal lover who was mourning the loss of the longtime family pet, a golden retriever named Bandit. Koziol’s next pet, a golden retriever with a beautiful white coat, was welcomed to the family after Bandit’s passing. The bond was immediate. Koziol grew up in Illinois so he was naturally a lifelong Bears fan.
But when he got his new dog, it wasn’t a name like Butkus or Sayers that fit. Jaxxson, or Jax for short, has been Koziol’s best companion. Koziol said he made the connection instantly when Jacksonville selected him, and maybe, just maybe, he and the Jaguars were the plan all along.
“I had a great dog before him, Bandit. Rest in peace,” Koziol said.
“But Jax, no dog has been my guy like Jax has. I love him and he’s been awesome. ” While Jax has been Koziol’s best non-human friend, the rookie is hopeful to become one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s best friends on the field.
“I mean, I love watching football and more importantly I love tight ends and seeing what people do around the league,” Koziol said. “And now you have a variety of different tight ends within a tight end room and I’m just really excited to be able to get better at every single aspect so that we can be as versatile and as dominant as possible from our room.
” Jacksonville selected two tight ends in last April’s draft, going with Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Koziol from the University of Houston in the fifth. Boerkircher should be in line to see a larger role in an expanded tight end system alongside Brenton Strange, but Koziol offers significant playmaking upside.
At 6-7 and 250 pounds, he projects more as the move tight end in Liam Coen’s offense to more of the in-line ability of Boerkircher, who had 38 career receptions across five college seasons at Nebraska and Texas A&M. Koziol plays more like a receiver than a true in-line tight end. He had 94 catches and 839 yards at Ball State in 2024 and added 74 catches for 727 yards in his lone season at Houston in 2025.
With teams positioned to run far more two and three tight end looks this year, Koziol could be in line to contribute far more than a typical fifth-round pick. When minicamp and OTAs wrap up, Koziol said there will be little downtime.
“Prioritizing priorities, absolutely. When I go home, there’s really no more video games. There’s no more much of anything else right now. This is what I love.
This is my priority,” he said.
“And other than talking to my family and occasionally my friends, diving into the playbook and prioritizing this, how I eat, how I sleep, how I recover through everything, just prioritizing the main thing and just having it be at the best of my ability. I know it’s a cliche, but … if I do one thing that makes me 1% better in 20 different things, whether that be my food, sleep, recovery, I’ll be 20% better the next day.
It’s just adding up those 1%s.
"Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years. Florida Legislature funds $972K in safety upgrades after Baymeadows crash that killed teacher, childHurricane season tips with Security First InsuranceJaguars Safety Antonio Johnson LOCKED in on the details 🔒👀Multi-vehicle crash closes all lanes on I-95 north at Butler Blvd.
Kingsminster school to open August 2027 in Ponte VedraMan killed after being trapped between semi-cab truck, power lift system in Mixon TownShaking from earthquake off Cuba coast felt across Florida, including DuvalChick-fil-A at JTB & Philips Highway to be closed temporarily after fire damages kitchen2-year-old dies after being found in water on Northside: JSO
Please follow us on Google to support us News4jags Sports4jax Tanner Koziol
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jacksonville forecast: Sunny skies and pool-perfect weather ahead, says Katie GarnerJacksonville is enjoying another sunny day with mild morning temperatures and clear skies, as rain is expected to hold off until the weekend. News4JAX meteorologist Katie Garner shares the details.
Read more »
Jacksonville braces for intense weekend heat: Heat index could near 108, spotty showers expectedJacksonville is facing a scorching weekend with heat index values expected to reach up to 108 degrees. Spotty showers and tropical updates are also in the forecast, according to News4JAX’s meteorologist Katie Garner.
Read more »
Jacksonville family requests community support for Mandarin High football player critically injured in shootingA Jacksonville family is asking for prayers and support after a Mandarin football player suffered a traumatic brain injury after a shooting in the Inwood Terrace neighborhood.
Read more »
Florida Man's Wrongful Arrest Suit Highlights Dangers of AI Facial Recognition in PolicingA Fort Myers resident wrongfully arrested nearly two years ago in the Middle District of Florida highlights the risks of police agencies relying on facial recognition technology. Robert Dillon, a 52-year-old man, was flagged by a facial recognition algorithm as the man who tried to lure or entice a child under 12 years old at a McDonald's in Jacksonville Beach. However, the algorithm was wrong. He is now suing the city of Jacksonville Beach as well as law enforcement officers from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO), and Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Read more »