Inside the Huddle: Tight Ends

1-Keon Zipperer-Lakeland-6’2-240: Keon is a big possession receiver. He should be productive on third down and inside the red-zone. He lacks great speed. He is not a kid who is going to threaten a defense down the field. Can he be a productive blocker?

2-Nikolas Ognenovic-Cardinal Gibbons-6’6-230: Nikolas is not the athlete that Zipperer or Hodges but he is a more natural as a traditional tight end. He is a big target down the middle of the field. He also should be very good in the run game. Many teams use their tight ends as an extension of their run game, Nikolas will fit those types of offenses really well.

3-Larry Hodges-Tampa Jesuit-6’2-230 -(Committed to University of Miami): Hodges is more of an h-back than a traditional tight end. He is also an undersized tight end. He lacks great size or speed. He is a sound receiver and should help in the passing game.

4-Logan Compton-IMG Academy-6’4-220-In IMG offense a tight end like Compton should see some serious miss-matches on offense. He is going to be going against linebackers most of the time. He is a very productive run blocker. When IMG runs Compton down the middle of the seam we expect him to be open every time.

5-Brett Seither-Clearwater Central Catholic-6’5-230- Seither is a prospect that will draw more attention this spring. He is one of the bigger tight ends in the state of Florida this year. He is also one of the more complete players at his position.

6-Gary Cooper-Columbus-6’1-220-(Committed to Indiana): There are a handful of tight ends this year which are highly rated and under 6’2 Cooper could end up one of the best of them. He is very physical. You will see him play on offense and defense and make an impact. He has very good hands.

7-Kamari Morales-Tallahassee Lincoln-6’3-230:(Committed to USF): Morales is a prospect that will do well running wheel routes. You can also line him up in the slot and get him against a linebacker and he will do some damage. The question with Morales is he willing to be a good run blocker?

8-Terrell Kiffin-Superior Collegiate Academy-6’5-215:Kiffin is a major miss-match at the level he plays at. They line him up on the outside and he will come down with every pass. He gives you some more athletic ability then some of the other tight ends on the board. He is going to need to show coaches that his blocking will not be a liability. (Reported offers: Louisville, Southern Miss and Toledo)

9-Brett Seither-Clearwater Central Catholic-6’5-230 – Seither is a prospect that will draw more attention this spring. He is one of the bigger tight ends in the state of Florida this year. He is also one of the more complete players at his position.

10-Sam Snyder-Fleming Island-6’4-200: We saw Snyder at the Nike Camp. He is a raw prospect but there is enough upside for him to draw looks this spring. He is a little on the thin side but we could see him get up to 230-235 pounds in college.

11-Thomas Nance III-Lake Region-6’3-240: Nance is a versatile athlete who could play multiple positions in college. We project him as a tight end as Nance is a major miss-match for most defensive coordinators.

12-Devanno Whitfield-Doral Academy-6’3-250: Whitfield is a kid who will draw interest this fall. He is new to the game but you can see some physical attributes that colleges coaches will want in a tight end. He just needs to put some good film together and then watch the offers roll in.

13-Julius Pierce-Sanford Seminole-6’4-240: Pierce is a prospect to keep an eye on this spring. He is a big kid. You can move him around on offense and find the miss-match. He is not an easy person to cover. He is also a player we could see end up on defense in college.

14-Rahmod Smith-Homestead-6’5-210: We watched him this spring and we came away impressed. He had a one handed touchdown grab in his spring game. He was one of homestead top prospects.

15-Nate Beymer-Auburndale-6’6-225: Auburndale will line him up and run Beymer on 9-routes. He is a bigger kid who can cause defensive coaches some problems. He has good hands and can get open. He will also be effective as an in line blocking tight end. He lacks great speed and burst.

Next….

• Austin White-Tampa Catholic-6’4-240: White is a prospect we had the chance to watch at sling and shoot last year. We feel he has the talents to become a top 5-10 tight end in the state this year. He is a raw prospect but you can see the upside with him. He just needs the opportunity to shine which we feel it will happen this spring.

• Greg Perkins-Pensacola-6’4-205: Perkins is an intriguing prospect. He is a kid that knows how to get open. He comes off the line and if you don’t get a hand on him, Perkins will ruin your defensive game play. He has good hands. He will need to show the ability to consistently block at the next level. =

• Tyrese Hall-Tampa Bay Tech-6’3-200: Hall is moved around on offense. He will line up as an h-back, a tight end and even sometimes out wide. He has good hands and is tough around the goal-line. He also does not mind blocking which will help his cause out.