Former Nevada transfer Keleki Latu was a sneaky, under-the-radar addition to the Washington Huskies’ offense by coach Jedd Fisch during the offseason. The 6-foot-7 tight end quickly earned the backup job to starter Quentin Moore and settled in nicely due to his length and versatility as a blocker and receiver.
Though he isn’t the most dynamic player, he’s more than capable of filling in where the offense needs him. With the unfortunate injury that Moore sustained against Weber State, the team desperately needs Latu to step up.
Tight end is one of the team’s weakest positions at the moment. With only Latu and true freshman Decker DeGraaf, who caught his first career touchdown on his first career snap in Week One, as the only two healthy scholarship tight ends, the team could be forced to get creative. That said, Latu and DeGraaf are both solid options.
The biggest need from the tight end position is to help out an inconsistent offensive line in the team’s first game. Additionally, Fisch relies on tight ends to contribute at least marginally in the passing game.
While he understands that the team is shallow at the position, the head coach stated that with Moore’s injury, the team will rely on more 11 personnel, indicating that the tight end will play a very important role in the offense.
Quarterback Will Rogers showed a tendency to get the ball out quickly, something Moore understood. Latu, similarly to Moore, will not be much of a downfield threat but can be a big body for Rogers should the pocket collapse on him. Latu’s frame will also be valuable in the red zone, as the team will be forced to spread the ball around.
If Moore is ruled out, Latu will have his first chance as the projected starter this coming Saturday as the team faces Eastern Michigan at home, and after not recording a catch in week one, he’ll have to adapt to his new role quickly.