Tag: Tight Ends

Every TE Alabama has offered in the 2023 recruiting class

Here are all the tight ends Alabama has offered from the 2023 recruiting class!

Alabama finished the 2021 college football season as the No. 2 team after losing to Georgia in the national championship and fell just short of No. 1 as well in the 2022 recruiting rankings – Texas A&M took the top spot in that.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Crimson Tide looks to reclaim the recruiting title by continuing to offer some of the top-rated positional players from across the nation.

Here at Roll Tide Wire, we have covered offers to 2023 quarterbacks, running backs and cornerbacks. Today, we look at the seven tight ends from the 2023 class that Alabama has already offered.

Nick Saban has recruited and developed numerous tight ends that have gone on to play at the NFL level, with O.J. Howard and Irv Smith jr. being two prime examples.

Despite some of the offered players having already committed elsewhere, here is who has been on the Crimson Tide’s radar so far.

Dan Arnold near the top of the league’s TEs in routes run from the slot or out wide

Arnold ranked fifth in the league among tight ends in routes run from the slot with 78%.

It was an overall disappointing season for Jacksonville, but one of the few bright spots was the play of tight end Dan Arnold. The position was arguably the team’s biggest need heading into last offseason, and it didn’t do much to address it aside from drafting Luke Farrell, who is primarily a blocker, in the fifth round.

That changed three weeks into the regular season when the team acquired Arnold in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. He finished with 324 yards on 28 catches, and though he didn’t find the end zone, he had five games in which he surpassed 50 receiving yards.

His season was ultimately cut short with an injury, but he proved to be one of the more versatile tight ends in the league, ranking among the top five in routes run from the slot or out wide.

This could prove to be significant in terms of how the Jaguars see his role moving forward. That’s especially the case when considering the lack of receiving ability the team has at the position behind Arnold right now.

With James O’Shaughnessy set to hit free agency from the current tight ends group, this team will likely look to add someone else, potentially in the first two days of the draft. However, that may not hurt Arnold’s role too much when considering how much new coach Doug Pederson likes to utilize multiple tight ends as pass catchers.

Tight end has become one of the most important positions in the NFL, and the Jags need to find one that can be a reliable target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Though there will likely be at least one new addition at the position, there’s reason to believe Arnold could be that player.

Spring Football Preview: Auburn’s best tight end room in years

This could be one of the deepest units on the team.

One of the bright spots of the offense last season was the emergence of Auburn’s tight ends.

It was something that Auburn fans have wanted for years and the group more than delivered. John Samuel Shenker broke the program records for catches and yards and was one of the offences most reliable players.

Meanwhile, Tyler Fromm and Luke Deal were used in variety of ways to help the offense and Landen King looked like a potential star to end the season.

With the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback and wide receiver positions, Auburn will need to lean on the tight ends even more than they did last season, but this group is up for the challenge. Here is a look at the group.

Early position outlook: Many fresh faces at tight end

Alabama transfer Jahleel Billingsley was one of Texas’ best pickups in the offseason.

The tight end position will have a much different look in 2022.

The Horns lost three-year starter, Cade Brewer, to graduation and his backup Jared Wiley to the transfer portal.

With Texas in need of experience at tight end, Alabama transfer Jahleel Billingsley decided to reunite with Steve Sarkisian in Austin.

Billingsley totaled 37 receptions for 559 yards and six touchdowns in his three years at Alabama. He will serve as the older guy in the room with lots of young, but unproven talent behind him.

Texas has a trio of sophomores who will compete for playing time this spring.

Gunnar Helm, probably the best blocker of the group, got the most playing time out of the three a season ago. Helm appeared in all 12 games, mostly on special teams.

Former five-star Ja’Tavion Sanders has one of the highest ceilings out of anyone on the roster. Sanders had a bit of trouble adjusting to the college game in his freshman season, but he will now have a full offseason with the program to develop his game.

Juan Davis is a guy Steve Sarkisian speaks very highly of. Davis only played in two games last season recording just one catch.

If Billingsley picks up where he left off in Tuscaloosa and the younger guys step up, tight end could be one of the best position groups on the roster.

Texas’ TE situation with Jared Wiley entering the transfer portal

Texas will need to replace both starting tight ends next season. Who will they look to?

Texas’ offense will look much different at the tight end position in 2022. Continue reading “Texas’ TE situation with Jared Wiley entering the transfer portal”

Watch: Michael Mayer destroys Stanford defender

(Heart Emoji)

It was nothing short of laughable earlier this week when Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer was left off the list of three finalists for the Mackey Award which goes to the nation’s best tight end each season.

Mayer responded by having a fantastic first half at Stanford in Notre Dame’s regular season finale, pulling in five receptions for 61 yards in the game’s first-30 minutes.  His biggest highlight of the first half however was in another part of the game he stars in, the blocking game.

Michael Mayer is the best tight end in college football whether the award goes to him or not.

Notre Dame leads 24-0 at halftime, as we post this.  If the second half gets as lopsided as it appears to be headed then I’ll probably find myself going to back to watching this no less than 64 times before midnight.

Related:

College Football Playoff Top 25 Scoreboard – Rivalry Week

Does Michigan’s massive win over Ohio State help Notre Dame?

Alabama somehow survives at Auburn but it comes at a cost for Tide

Report: Packers doing homework on tight end options at trade deadline

The Packers could be preparing to make a move at tight end at the NFL’s trade deadline.

The Green Bay Packers could be preparing to make a move at tight end at the NFL’s trade deadline.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Packers are believed to be doing homework on tight ends after losing Robert Tonyan to a season-ending knee injury.

Among the options listed by Fowler are Evan Engram of the New York Giants, Hayden Hurst of the Atlanta Falcons, Jordan Akins of the Houston Texans and Jacob Hollister of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The deadline for making a trade is 3:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

The Packers were dealt a blow when Tonyan, who has 13 touchdown catches over the last two seasons, went down with a torn ACL during the second half of the Packers’ win over the Arizona Cardinals last Thursday night. He’ll miss the rest of the 2021 season, leaving behind a need for a pass-catching tight end in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

Engram made a Pro Bowl for the Giants last season and caught a touchdown pass on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. Hurst plays in a similar offense in Atlanta but isn’t getting as many opportunities behind Kyle Pitts. Akins had a strong year with Deshaun Watson as the Texans quarterback last season. Hollister was a productive player for the Seahawks before signing in Jacksonville.

If the Packers don’t make a move, the team would move forward with Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney and Tyler Davis at tight end. Lewis is a traditional inline blocker type, while Deguara and Dafney are more H-backs than traditional tight ends.

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Key Players for the Oklahoma Sooners defense vs. Nebraska

A look at the three players on the Oklahoma defense that are key players against Nebraska.

Oklahoma will wrap up its nonconference schedule with their toughest opponent thus far in Nebraska. The game is symbolic as an old rivalry is renewed on the 50th anniversary of the ‘Game of the Century.

On the field, OU will face a noticeable step up in competition as opposed to their games against Tulane and Western Carolina University. Defensively, they will have to contend with one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation in Adrian Martinez.

Martinez, a veteran quarterback has seen a lot of football over the years and will hardly be scared of the moment. However, his relatively young offensive line will line up across from one of the best front sevens in the country. Pressure is something Martinez is very familiar with. We wrote about that here.

Oklahoma will be without some key players on the back end of their defense. Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman are not expected to play. Look for Latrell McCutchin and Jeremiah Criddell to fill in for them in their spots. Here are candidates for the defensive players to watch as Oklahoma tries to bottle up Nebraska and head into Big 12 play undefeated:

Up Next: A Monster in the Middle ready to be unleashed.

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Ducks Depth Chart Preview: Tight End room is littered with talent

The Oregon Ducks have a deep group of tight ends heading into 2021, but injuries have been a consistent issue for most of these guys.

The story of the tight end position at the University of Oregon over the past few years can be summed up in one word: injuries.

Cam McCormick has been hurt for the better part of the past three years. Patrick Herbert has only played one game in the past two seasons, ending all hope of a Herbert-to-Herbert connection before his brother Justin departed for the NFL. Spencer Webb didn’t see the field in 2020 because of injuries.

That trio is healthy at the moment, and alongside veteran DJ Johnson they give Oregon one of the deepest, most talented groups of tight ends the school has had in a very long time.

Heck, true freshman Moliki Matavao was one of the most sought-after tight ends in the country in the class of 2021, and he is an afterthought on Oregon’s depth chart this season – although he will be a big piece of their future at the spot, potentially alongside redshirt freshman Tyler Nanney and true freshmen Terrance Ferguson and Cooper Shultz, who were left off the depth chart for this year as they are unlikely to play much, if at all.

Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is comfortable utilizing tight ends in his offensive schemes, and while fans did not get to see a ton of it last year because of injuries and the pandemic-shortened season, 2021’s depth should allow Moorhead, Mario Cristobal, and quarterback Anthony Brown to get very creative with this group of talented young men.

Without further ado, here is a look at the depth chart heading into the upcoming season:

Clemson’s Tony Elliott still learning about his ‘talented’ new position group

Tony Elliott is still getting used to his new role. It’s been eight months since Clemson’s offensive coordinator also took over the tutelage of the Tigers’ tight ends. Elliott previously tutored the running backs, but the move allowed Clemson coach …

Tony Elliott is still getting used to his new role.

It’s been eight months since Clemson’s offensive coordinator also took over the tutelage of the Tigers’ tight ends. Elliott previously tutored the running backs, but the move allowed Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to bring former Tiger running back C.J. Spiller back to fill out his coaching staff. 

Ellliott said it’s been a fun change for him since it’s gotten him closer to his roots. The Tigers’ veteran assistant played receiver at Clemson and coached the position in previous stops at Furman and South Carolina State before returning to his alma mater in 2011.

Learning the personalities of his new position group — and vice-versa — has taken some time.

“I think they’re still trying to figure me out as a person because my style is different than some other coaches they may have been around in the past,” Elliott said. “And I’m trying to figure them out because it’s a different temperament than being in that running back room. The tight ends, they’re a little bit more straightforward and about their business. So I’m learning how to really communicate most effectively with those guys.”

Elliott has been around a while, though, so he’s not oblivious to the talent he’s inherited. With Braden Galloway and Davis Allen back in the fold along with youngsters Jaelyn Lae, Sage Ennis and Jake Briningstool, it’s a group heavy on experience, depth and potential.

In fact, Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff are of the opinion it rivals any collection of tight ends in the program over the last decade.

“This is probably as talented a tight end group as I’ve had since I’ve been the coach here,” Swinney said.

It’s easy to see why Galloway and Allen could be a bigger part of the passing game based on the kind of promise they showed last season. The duo combined for 43 catches with six of those going for touchdowns. Allen, a bigger target at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, was third on the team with four touchdown catches.

The lone senior among the group, Galloway led the tight ends with 27 receptions, but Elliott said the 6-4, 240-pounder is still just scratching the surface when it comes to the type of player he can be at the position.

“The biggest thing is just to get him committed to being a complete player because he’s very, very capable,” Elliott said. “And I’m more referring to the blocking aspect. Just getting him committed to saying, hey, do what you’ve got to do. Get the job done. And I think he’s buying into that.”

Elliott said he’s seen growth out of Allen as a receiver when it comes to understanding coverages and the fundamentals of route running. And Ennis, a redshirt freshman who played in four games last season, impressed Elliott in the spring.

“I think we all knew Sage was a guy with a ton of potential, but you just hadn’t seen it because he was in a line,” Elliott said. “What you saw out of him this spring is he’s a tough young man. He’ll put his face in the fan. He can run. He can stretch the field.”

Lay (6-6, 270) and Briningstool (6-6, 220) are two physically imposing youngsters at the position. Like Galloway, Elliott said Lay needs to work on becoming a complete tight end, particularly when it comes to embracing his size and strength as a run blocker. Briningstool was an Under Armour All-American who hauled in 12 touchdown catches as a senior at Ravenwood (Tennessee) High last year.

“I think the sky is the limit for that young man,” Elliott said of Briningstool. “I think we knocked it out of the park with him.”

Personalities are one thing. But what Elliott has already come to realize is he has a lot of different options with a lot of different skill sets that he can utilize at his new position.

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