Previous editions: Quarterback U, Running Back U, Defensive End U, Linebacker U, Defensive Tackle U.
This is the sixth in a series where we attempt to determine the Pac-10 school having the most success at each position.
Since in most cases, it’s USC – and often by a landslide – we have been calling the series the Non-USC Edition, or Best of the Rest U, because the Trojans cast such a shadow. The good work at other schools sometimes gets lost.
When it comes to tight ends, we don’t have to shuck USC aside. During the past decade, UCLA is the Pac-10’s Tight End U, by the narrowest of margins over Arizona State. Mighty USC couldn’t even beat out Oregon when it comes to tight ends.
What does it mean? We’re not entirely sure, since tight end is a strange position that is vitally important at some schools, and not so much at others. For a power team, it helps to have a good tight end, one who can block as well as someone who can catch a tough pass in a short-yardage situation, or bail out his quarterback.
You look at Washington, and though it’s untrue to say the lack of a good tight end is the reason the program has plummeted, it is a factor.
The Huskies haven’t placed a tight end on the all-Pac 10 team ‑ not even as an honorable mention ‑ since 2002, which was also the last time they went to a bowl game. But as recently as the 1990s, Washington was easily Tight End U, perhaps in all of college football. From 1992 to 1998, the Huskies had six tight ends (Cam Cleeland, Jeremy Brigham, Ernie Conwell, Mark Bruener, Eric Bjornson, Aaron Pierce) selected in the NFL draft, including four which were taken in the top three rounds.
By the way, Washington won during those years.
Anyway, UCLA is the current king at tight end, though I’ll say I’m skeptical. The Bruins were great earlier this decade, with Mike Seidman and Marcedes Lewis helping to bulk up a good offense. But UCLA hasn’t been much of late, though Ryan Moya finally gave the Bruins some tight end firepower last season after a couple of dry years.
Arizona State is right on UCLA’s heels because of two premier tight ends in Zach Miller and Todd Heap. But again, like the Bruins, the Sun Devils have fallen off a bit at the position in recent years.
The Pac-10 team that has been the most consistent throughout the decade at tight end is Oregon. The Ducks always seem to have a big target, from Justin Peelle to Ed Dickson, with Tim Day, George Wrighster and Dante Rosario in between.
It’ll be interesting to see how the tight end position evolves at Oregon under first-year coach Chip Kelly and his spread offense.
PAC-10 TIGHT ENDS (1999-2008)
|
Team
|
All league
|
AP A-A
|
NFL Draft
|
Total
|
|
UCLA
|
38
|
3
|
19
|
60
|
|
ASU
|
36
|
4
|
19
|
59
|
|
Oregon
|
36
|
1
|
11
|
48
|
|
USC
|
16
|
3
|
14
|
33
|
|
Stanford
|
14
|
3
|
14
|
31
|
|
Arizona
|
24
|
1
|
4
|
29
|
|
OSU
|
16
|
0
|
4
|
20
|
|
WSU
|
20
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
|
Washington
|
8
|
0
|
10
|
18
|
|
California
|
10
|
0
|
6
|
16
|
POINT SYSTEM
All-league: First team, 10 points; second team, 6 points; honorable mention, 2 points.
Associated Press All-American: 6 points first team, 3 points second team, 1 point third team
NFL draft: 10-8-6-4-3-2-1 points from first to seventh round pick.
(Note: Players and performances before 1999 were not considered. The NFL draft, rather than performance in the NFL, is used as a factor because draft position is often based on how a player performed and developed for his college program. Awards, rather than statistics, are used because most of the top statistical performers are generally reflected in the highest honors.)
This post is part of the series 
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