 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
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By Brian Nowicki 
Tight ends are a very important part of the Rocket offense. The tight ends do much more than just block on running plays. They are used in pass patterns quite often. Sometimes they even line up in a wide receiver spot.So to be a tight end at Toledo you have to have a good mix of size and speed and not only be a good blocker, but also be able to run a good route and catch the ball. Tight end coach Chris Hedden has a number of tight ends that fit this description and they work on all aspects of the game at every practice. Senior Chris Hopkins is 6-5 and 255 pounds. Ideal size for a tight end. Despite being a tight end and only starting 3 games last season, Hopkins was 2nd on the team in receptions with 31 for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Hopkins had three of his touchdowns in the last two games. He had the game-tying touchdown late in the 4th quarter at Bowling Green, and then had the game-winning touchdown in double overtime of that game. He also had a touchdown in the 4th quarter of the GMAC Bowl against UTEP. Despite only starting 3 games, Hopkins played in all 12 Rocket games last season. He is currently listed #2 on the spring depth chart at the tight end position. Sophomore John Allen had 20 receptions for 209 yards and 5 touchdowns last season. John was a walk-on last year and surprised everyone. His performance on the field earned him a scholarship for this year. The 6-5, 220 pounder from Chicago, IL was sixth on the team for receptions, and only second to Steve Odom in receiving touchdowns. Allen played in 11 games last year, starting 3 of them. He is currently listed #1 on the spring depth chart at the tight end position.  Senior Josh Powell had 16 receptions for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. At 6-5 and 263 pounds, Powell has ideal size for a tight end. He played in all 12 games last season, starting 7 of them. Powell is 3rd on the spring depth chart. Between Powell, Hopkins, and Allen the rockets have a lot of returning talent at tight end. They combined for 67 receptions for 755 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. That is a lot of production from your tight ends.Also in the mix this spring is redshirt freshman Tom Burzine. Burzine, 6-4 and 232 pounds, is from Bohemia, NY where he caught 29 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns as a senior in high school in 2004. He is currently fourth on the spring depth chart at tight end. Senior Chad Spence is another tight end on the roster. Spence, originally from the Cleveland area, is from Grand Rapids CC. At 6-1 and 225 pounds he is a bit small for the tight end position, but he has shown some good things in spring practices and he adds depth to an already deep position. With a couple of seniors at the tight end position, it was important to recruit a couple of tight ends this past season and Toledo did just that. Jerome Jones is a 6-7, 220 pound tight end from Youngstown Ursuline. Fab 50 Recruiting had him listed in the top 50 tight end recruits in the country, and Rivals.com had him listed as the #32 tight end recruit in the country. He had offers from Toledo and Kansas. Matt Fought, 6-4 and 210 pounds, is from Ottawa Glandorf, OH. He caught 33 passes for 583 yards and 8 touchdowns as a senior in high school last season. Since then he has been working to add weight to his frame to prepare for being a tight end at Toledo. He has attended a couple of spring practices as an observer and you can tell he has added a few pounds. He runs a 4.6 forty and is rumored to be about 235 pounds now. He received several offers. Toledo, Miami University, and Bowling Green were among them. Skylaar Constant is a 6-4, 265 pound tight end and defensive end. It is unclear as to whether or not he will end up on the offensive or defensive side of the ball when he gets to Toledo as the Rockets recruited him for both positions. Skylaar had offers from Toledo, Miami University, Bowling Green, Akron, and Ohio University. Last year the quarterback rollout with a short pass to a tight end was kind of a bread and butter play from Bruce Gradkowski and the Rocket offense. With a strong running game and a ton of experienced wide receivers, the tight ends should be an important piece of the offense in order to keep the defense honest once again this season. Chris Hopkins and John Allen should each have a great season catching the ball, while Josh Powell will add depth, great run blocking, and a solid season catching the ball. Tom Burzine should see some playing time this year as well, while the incoming freshman grow accustomed to the offense. Of course there is a possibility that they could see playing time, but I think they will be redshirted this year with the depth we have. 2007 will be the year they will be counted on, with Josh Powell and Chris Hopkins graduating after this season. Have a question or comment for Brian? Email |