Spring football preview: Tight ends
Missouri will open its third spring under Barry Odom next month. Over the next two weeks, we preview spring ball position by position. Today, it's the tight ends.
SPRING FOOTBALL 2018: TIGHT END
The Starter: Last season, redshirt freshman Albert Okwuegbunam burst onto the scene as a prolific red zone threat, catching a team-high 11 touchdowns and earning second-team all-SEC honors. Entering the spring, the question is not whether Okwuegbunam is the Tigers’ top tight end, but whether he can become the team’s most reliable pass-catcher, period. In the last five games in which Okwuegbunam caught a pass last season (he was held without a reception against Florida and Tennessee), he averaged 4.4 receptions, 62.6 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. If he is able to produce at the same rate for all of this season, Okwuegbunam would have over 750 yards and 18 scores. That yardage total would have ranked second among all tight ends nationally a season ago, and the 18 touchdowns would have blown every other tight end away. While matching last year’s touchdown rate may be a tad unrealistic, Missouri will be looking for a new go-to guy in the passing game after the graduation of J’Mon Moore, so Okwuegbunam should see the targets to take another step forward.
The Backups: The rest of the Tiger tight ends form a strong supporting cast behind Okwuegbunam. Redshirt junior Kendall Blanton has contributed in each of the past two seasons, and should see his usage increase with the departure of Jason Reese. Six-foot-six freshman Logan Christopherson was set to see the field after a strong spring a year ago, but an injury in fall camp prompted the team to redshirt him. Brendan Scales, ranked the No. 6 recruit in the state of Missouri in 2016, should contribute as well. All in all, the group could be the strongest collection of Missouri tight ends since the days of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.
Potential Storylines: Will Okwuegbunam continue to operate primarily as a red-zone threat, or will new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley find ways to get him the ball in other offensive situations? Missouri’s wide receiver corps features plenty of speed, but no proven possession receiver. If Okwuegbunam can become that guy for Drew Lock, the offense should benefit greatly.
Spring Prediction: Missouri’s tight ends become a feature point of the team’s passing game. Dooley figures to implement a more NFL-style scheme than his predecessor, Josh Heupel, which likely means two tight-end sets and play-action passes. Given the abilities of Okwuegbunam, the depth of the Tigers’ tight ends and the team's lack of proven wideouts, don’t be surprised to see Lock targeting his tight ends in a variety of situations rather than just in the red zone and on check downs.
Help on the Way: Missouri added one new tight end in its 2018 recruiting class in 3-star prospect Messiah Swinson. At six-foot-eight, Swinson is a huge, intriguing target. But given the Tigers’ depth at tight end and the fact that Swinson won’t arrive on campus until after the spring, don’t be surprised if he redshirts his first season, unless injuries necessitate otherwise.