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PROVO — BYU football's new tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride has his work cut out this spring, but he's encouraged by the initial glimpse provided by the array of personnel he has to work with this year.
The task for Gilbride, moving forward through spring, the offseason and into fall practices, will be to develop all the individuals within his group and then identify which individuals can best complete their assignment within BYU's offensive system.
"We have a lot of improving still to do, and that's the biggest thing," Gilbride said when asked of his first impression of his position group. "They're working toward it, which is great. The effort and the focus is to develop, and they have that mindset; and when you have that growth mindset, it's eventually going to pay off."
Gilbride was hired on as BYU's tight ends coach in January, and has since worked diligently to bring out the best production within his position group. But only so much can be accomplished outside of the framework of full practice sessions; although Gilbride believes he has a capable group after just one week of work.
"I watched enough (film) just to have a feel for what they were physically, but then I wanted to get my firsthand account of what they were," Gilbride said. "From a technique standpoint, you can only see so much on film. But they are basically what I thought they were, and I think we have a talented group, but a group that needs to work to get better."
Keeping defenses off balance
I believe there's as much potential mobility within BYU's tight end group as any on the team. Assigning a specific depth chart during the first week of spring practices is therefore problematic, though there has been enough of a blueprint laid to provide the current status of the position.
Presently, there's 11 tight ends listed on BYU's roster, with about a third of those whose current strength is fulfilling a Masen Wake-like position on the team in being employed in an H-back-type of role rather than an traditional inline or flex tight end. The stated goal for Gilbride will be to develop each player on the roster to be capable of every role within the offense.
"We ask the majority of guys in that room to play those multiple roles," Gilbride said. "So it's not a specific fullback-led offense, but we have some fullback-type plays where we can pull and that nature. But that could be … anyone in that room who is executing that block. … They all cross train."
Keeping a defense off base, if even slightly, can prove a big advantage for an offense. Simply-stated, the goal should always be to force the opposition to adjust to what you're doing on the field of play and not vice versa; and by posing a multitude of tight end personnel capable of fulfilling a variety of roles can go a long way in accomplishing as much.
"I think the more you get into mixing different personnel, the better off you're going to be," Gilbride said. "So if we can get into 12 and 13 personnel on the field, then you have an opportunity to get … whatever defense you're playing to change schematically. It can be an advantage in certain weeks and not necessarily in other weeks, but having the ability to do that causes the defense a little bit of trouble, and we have that ability."
Current fullback types
As stated, the goal come fall will be to do away with the designation I'm about to provide, with the fullback types upping their receiving abilities and vice versa for those who best excel at catching the football, currently.
Mason Fakahua (6-2, 245 Sr.): Fakahua was employed frequently in a primary blocking role in heavy sets involving 12 and 13 personnel last season. He also showed a good ability in receiving the football, too, as evidenced by his six receptions last season.
Mata'ava Ta'ase (6-3, 255 Sr.): Ta'ase was named as the surprise backup to Isaac Rex last season largely due to his familiarity with and ability to execute all the assignments tasked to a tight end in Aaron Roderick's system.
Ray Paulo (6-3, 255 Sr.): If you ask the current social media manager for my show on ESPN 960, Caleb Christensen, who is the most fearsome blocker at the position, he'll assert it's Paulo every time. And he should know better than most, given that he's just one year removed from practicing against the JUCO transfer.
Current receiving types
Keanu Hill (6-4, 240 Sr.): The converted wide receiver has already shown his chops receiving the football effectively with his 73 receptions across three seasons. But he's also proven to be a very effective blocker from his wideout position, which could make his transition to tight end easier than otherwise.
Ryner Swanson (6-4, 245 Fr.):Swanson has been a standout in spring practices, which isn't necessarily a surprise given his four-star evaluation as a prospect out of high school. Becoming assignment-sound and consistent will be a challenge, as it is for any first-year player, but Swanson has already shown that he has the ability to contribute immediately this season.
Jackson Bowers (6-5, 245 Fr.): Bowers, much like Swanson, is blessed with a lot of ability and upside, and has shown a lot of improvement from last season to this spring practice session. A year within the system could elevate his status and land him as a top option at the tight end position by the start of the 2024 football season.
Other Tight Ends In The Mix:
Bentley Redden (6-5, 215 RS Fr.): Redden is a three-star tight end out of San Clemente, California, who claimed offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Nebraska among others. He also contributed to the scout team last season and is a legacy player. His father played defensive back at BYU in the early '90s.
Nason Coleman (6-3, 230 RS Fr.): Coleman is a preferred walk-on from Chandler, Arizona, and contributed on the scout team last season. He tallied 50 receptions, for 718 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior in 2021.
Injured
Ethan Erickson (6-5, 240 Jr.): Erickson will miss all of spring due to a lower-extremity injury, but should rise to become a top option come fall given the body of work he's already provided during his BYU football career.
Anthony Olsen (6-4, 245 So.): Olsen will miss the initial weeks of spring practices due to a soft tissue injury, and like Erickson, has shown the ability to become a rotational option at tight end.
Will Zundel (6-5, 235 Fr.): Zundel is a preferred walk-on returned missionary who played wide receiver for American Fork High. During his senior season he tallied 20 receptions for 433 yards (21.7 avg.) and three touchdowns. Gilbride said he's not practicing due to an undisclosed injury
Criddle's conclusion
The biggest story in spring football from this group is that Erickson is injured and cannot solidify himself as either TE1 or TE2. He was the incumbent to play the inline traditional tight end role that was vacated by Isaac Rex.
This allows the opportunity for young, talented, but inexperienced players like Swanson and Bowers to get up to speed and provide significant competition for him during fall camp. Erickson's status is compounded by having a new tight ends coach that is not familiar with his game outside of the film room.
Swanson and Bowers will be legitimate NFL prospects by the time they leave BYU. Swanson, in particular, has caught my eye, as well as Roderick's and Gilbride's. His stature, top end speed, catching ability and physicality are atypical for a true freshman tight end, and if veterans aren't too careful, he's going to take someone's job.
