Nick Daschel is a veteran sports writer and columnist who has worked on the West coast for nearly three decades. Nick has covered the Pac-10 for about 15 years, primarily focusing on the Northwest schools.
Continuing with our series on the top players at each position in the Pac-10 for 2009, this time for tight ends. Usually, we do top 10, but since tight end is a limited position, we’ll go with the top six. Yes, every team in the Pac-10 uses a tight end, but not all of the starters are worth inclusion in a best-of list. On to the top 6:
1. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona: Not only the best tight end in the Pac-10, and perhaps the country, but in the discussion for the league’s best player at any position in 2009. This colossal 6-foot-6, 270-pound junior is often described as a receiver too large for defensive backs to handle, and too quick and agile for linebackers to cover. In Arizona’s short passing game, a player like Gronkowski is a prime weapon. In two seasons at Arizona, Gronkowski is already the school’s most prolific tight end for receptions in a game, season and career. It’s no surprise that Gronkowski makes the game look easy; he’s the fourth boy in his family to have earned a college athletic scholarship.
2. Ed Dickson, Oregon: A second-team all-Pac 10 selection last season, the 6-5, 245-pound Dickson quietly caught 35 passes for 508 yards playing a minor statistical role for Oregon’s video game offense. That could change in 2009, as it appears coach Chip Kelly wants to get the tight ends more involved, and may occasionally use a double tight formation in his spread offense. Whatever the formation, expect Dickson to be at the forefront; in 2007, only Patrick Chung was on the field for more plays than Dickson for Oregon. Dickson has been a solid contributor for three seasons, catching 82 passes for 1,006 yards and six touchdowns. NFLdraftscout.com ranks Dickson as fifth among tight ends in the 2010 NFL class.
3. Kavario Middleton, Washington: Maybe a little high for this guy, particularly since it’s not certain he’ll start next season. But if the new Husky staff is smart, they’ll find a way to get Middleton on the field. What the 6-6, 250-pound sophomore lacks in tight end nuances he makes up with sensational playmaking skills. That was evident during Middleton’s first game in college last season – less than three months after graduating from high school – when he caught four passes for 35 yards against Oregon. With his size and athletic ability, Middleton could develop into a Gronkowski-type in a couple of years.
4. Anthony McCoy, USC: First and foremost, McCoy is an athlete; that was his position when USC signed him in 2006. It’s taken some time for McCoy to develop into a quality tight end, but heading into his senior season, he appears on the doorstep of doing that. USC gives its tight ends plenty of opportunity to shine, and the 6-5, 255-pound McCoy started to do that in 2008 with 22 receptions as a full-time starter. McCoy’s biggest problem is that he had better be good, because backup Rhett Ellison made some things happen during Trojans’ season-ending scrimmage this spring, causing coach Pete Carroll to say that Ellison was a “first-line player” for us.
5. Ryan Moya, UCLA: As a returning all-Pac 10 second teamer – he shared the honor with Dickson – maybe Moya should go higher here. But for a couple reasons, No. 5 seems about right. First, there are physical concerns; will Moya bounce back from offseason knee and Achilles surgery? And second, UCLA is loaded at tight end. Logan Paulsen would have been the starter in 2008 if not for a season-ending foot injury, and there’s incoming freshman Morrell Presley, whom you’ll read more about below. But if Moya is right, there’s no denying he belongs a short list of top tight ends. He caught 38 passes last season, fifth best in UCLA history.
6. Morrell Presley, UCLA: Believe recruiting rankings, don’t believe recruiting rankings, it’s up to you. All we know is a lot of colleges were chasing Presley six months ago, and UCLA landed him. The 6-4, 220-pounder was rated by many as the country’s top tight end prospect. Then to speed up the process, Presley graduated early from high school and enrolled at UCLA in order to take part in spring drills. Presley was a sensational receiver in high school, and from the looks of this video, appears to be a fairly decent blocker. Look for UCLA to find a way to get him on the field this season, even if the Bruins have to split him out as a receiver. Lord knows they could use the offense.
Could crack this list sometime during the season: Howard Croom, Oregon State; Chris Izbicki, Washington; Logan Paulsen, UCLA; Austin Gunder, Stanford; Brady Camp, Oregon State.
Nick Daschel covers the Pacific-10 Conference for Buster Sports, and can be reached at ndaschel@bustersports.com
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