Wahooze on the Trail: Tight Ends

While the first three positions of this exploration have been deep and talented, the tight end position is quite the opposite. UVA currently has offers out to 2 tight ends, one of which may not actually be a tight end when he gets to Charlottesville. The question then becomes, is there even a role for a tight end in this offense? That could be an entire post in and of itself. The conclusion I can draw from this is that the tight end is a luxury position in this offense, and that if we can get a great talent at the position Coach Lazor will, as he always does, figure out how to use it. That being said let’s look at the targets

Trent Corney                     6-3 240lbs.          Brookville, Ontario                         Thousand Islands

                Corney is gray-shirting for the class of 2013. Not sure where he will end up spending his prep season but it will most likely be FUMA, mostly so we can have a bug in Mr. Hackenberg’s ear pulling him to Charlottesville. Corney is a wild card in that no one really knows where he is going to play. He certainly has the speed and build to play tight end, but he could also provide solid depth at the linebacker spot. I think he will most likely get reps at both for FUMA in the fall and wherever he excels more will be where he starts.

Probable Destination: UVA. He’s already committed. FUMA doesn’t let their kids who have commitments be swayed very often.

 

Adam Breneman              6-5 225lbs.          Camp Hill, PA                                    Cedar Cliff

                Remember when we referenced the great talents that would make us use the tight ends? This is the one. Breneman is the top tight end in the country and appears to really like UVA. Obviously a pass catching tight end Breneman has been linked to a ton of programs and currently holds 29 offers to some big time places. UVA’s biggest competition might in fact be hometown Penn State. Before the scandal the Nittany Lions appeared to be the heavy favorite, but given the recent shakeup on the staff Breneman has reopened for business. That being said if Coach O’Brien uses the same style of offense at Penn State that he did with the Pats, it’s hard to believe that a dynamic pass catching tight end like Breneman will say no to that, especially if O’Brien can also bring in a big time QB like Stone Bridge’s Ryan Burns. This will be an intense battle, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Probable Destination: Penn State. I think in the end this is where Breneman wants to be. The new regime should be able to effectively pitch the tight ends role in his offense and maybe have a shiny new QB prospect to also show off.

Arshad Jackson                 6-6 235lbs.          Hampton, GA                                    Lovejoy

                It is not a game with this kid. He is a gargantuan human being who can catch, run, and probably eat humans. Jackson would be a terror in the redzone with his monster frame and supreme athleticism. Think Joe Torcia minus injuries. That being said he is another player that could project to the defense as well, though I think that would be a mistake, which is why I am listing him here. All indications are the Jackson loves the Hoos, who were his first offer, and that he will most likely be one of the first kids to come on board if the Hoos stay on him. Look for them to push him hard at one of the upcoming junior days.

Probable Destination: UVA. Barring some sort of disaster I think we can bag this kid, and that he will be an absolute steal. Put some weight on his big frame and watch out.