7/27/2016 football Edit

Position Preview: Tight End

Raju Woodward

BeaverBlitz Football Writer

Like much of the OSU offense, there’s nowhere to go but up in 2016 for this position group, which totaled just 11 catches, 80 yards and a TD last season. The good news is Noah Togiai looks like breakout star in the making with his size and athleticism. The bad news? The Beavers will be without Caleb Smith, who left the team for undisclosed reasons last month.

Departures

Caleb Smith: Left team. Caught 1 pass for 9 yards in 2015.

Brent Vanderveen: Left team. Caught one pass for 15 yards.

Returners

Noah Togiai (Soph.) 10, 71 yards, 1 TD

Rickey Ortiz (SR.): Did not record any receiving stats.

Tuli Wily-Matagi (Redshirt freshman): N/A

Newcomers

Quinn Smith (Soph.) Transfer from Lafayette. Has to sit out this season due to transfer rules, and has three years to play two. Caught six passes for 78 yards last season.

TE to Watch

There are not a lot of options to choose from here, but Togiai could emerge as a valuable weapon if he is utilized well and gets the ball, especially in the red zone. His hoops background and size makes him an ideal target. If he sees a lot of balls his way, he could become one of the best TEs in the conference.

Concerns

1. Will this group be targeted enough to become a part of the offense? TE might not a focal point of the offense, but if Garretson and Co. don’t have much time to throw, or teams guard OSU’s receivers well, the TEs could be excellent fallback options. If they aren’t involved, will it be a struggle for any of them to stay engaged?

2. With questions surrounding the health of the offensive line, the tight ends could be asked to pick up more blocking responsibilities. Will they be able to shoulder the load? What about in pass protection?

Key to Success

It’s going to come down to this: If the TEs hold their blocks and spring open, they should have opportunities for easy gains. Then, it’s up to the QB to deliver them the ball. If the OSU offense can get going, and the focus is on the WRs, the TEs could have a field day. It will be interesting to see if this group will be incorporated more into the offense this season, because there’s potential at this position — they just need a chance to show what they can do more.