The wide receivers had a tough time getting in sync last season, and the tight ends were not much better. Here is the breakdown of the position going into 2016:
Starter: Jason Reese, Redshirt Junior
The Euless-Trinity (Texas) product played in all 12 games last season after seeing the field for one game in 2014. He caught 15 passes for 126 yards last season and scored on a two point conversion for his only career points. He set a career high in catches and yards against South Carolina last season with six catches for 47 yards. He is going to get a lot more targets from Drew Lock this season. He was the #23 ranked tight end recruit in the nation coming out of high school.
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Reserves: Sean Culkin, R-Sr. and Kendall Blanton, R-So.
Culkin has been the starter at the position the last two seasons, but I think will be replaced by Reese. He has played in 38 career games and has 37 career receptions for 319 yards with two touchdowns. His best season was his sophomore year in 2014 in which he caught 20 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Along with Reese, Culkin could form a good 1-2 punch at tight end and allow the Tigers to run a lot more two tight end sets, which they haven’t done much of since the days of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.
Blanton is from Blue Spring, Mo. over Kentucky, Louisville and Tulsa. His father Jerry was a linebacker at Kentucky and played seven seasons in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. After redshirting his 2014 season, he played in eight games last season on special teams and did not register any statistics. But he was the 12th rated prospect at tight end of the class of 2014, and his athleticism is evidenced by the fact he led his school’s basketball team in blocks during his junior and senior years.