Texas A&M robbed the Big Ten of one of the top prospects out of Illinois when four-star tight end Eric Karner committed to the Aggies on June 22. After de-committing from Purdue back in April, the 6-5, 220-pound talent changed course and opted for the Maroon and White after an official visit to Aggieland proved to be the deciding factor.
Karner is entering his final senior season at Immaculate Conception, and according to 247Sports, is currently positioned as the 33rd-ranked tight end in the class and the 13th-ranked player in Illinois. In joining the Aggies’ ever-growing class of 2024 commits, Karner has an opportunity to make an impact as both a blocker as well as do damage in the passing game.
Having a balanced attack through the air and on the ground will be paramount for the Aggies to build consistency on the offensive side of the ball. That will only come to fruition so long as the blocking upfront is refined, and it’s no secret that Karner will step in to hold his own in that area.
Karner uses his size well to create separation between defenders and his wingspan allows for a large catch radius. That is where Karner’s potential goes through the roof, as he’ll begin to operate within Bobby Petrino’s offensive scheme that leverages tight ends in various different sets.
Current tight end Max Wright emphasized this during A&M’s spring program:
“We have different personnel, we have three tight ends on the field at one time. Sometimes, creating some mismatches in terms of blocking schemes, being able to utilize two tight ends on the ball while also having a tight end in the backfield at the fullback spot.
I think the way he uses the tight end in the offense is really versatile and I really love it.”
We saw just a small taste of this strategy during the Maroon and White game in April, as the Aggies leveraged everything from two back sets to having playmakers constantly in motion. The creativity and ingenuity from Petrino should open the door for anyone to step into the fold and make a play, and you can be sure that Karner’s fluidity in route running, coupled with his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, will come in handy.
Karner is more than capable of doing the dirty work in between the trenches, but don’t write off his potential as being a fulcrum within a promising Aggies offense.
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