The evolution of tight end with Jason Beck and how he'll use them at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah loves a good tight end.

The position has long been a valuable asset in Utah's offensive arsenal as the team looks to exploit a mismatch that has provided great results over the years.

It's also been a position group that has produced several NFL tight ends over the last few years, including Dalton Kincaid, Cole Fotheringham and most recently Caleb Lohner.

If not for multiple injuries, dynamic tight end Brant Kuithe would be included in that mix, too.

So when Jason Beck was hired on as Utah's newest offensive coordinator to replace the retired Andy Ludwig — who loved to use 11, 12 and 13 personnel looks — there was some concern the position group would fall off the map at Utah.

Why? Beck didn't use the tight end position much at New Mexico, where he transformed the offense into one that finished fourth in the country last season. Their lone receiving tight end was Trace Bruckler, who had with 138 receiving yards on 22 catches lasts season.

Not exactly the same level of production Utah has been known for recently.

Heck, Kincaid had more than that in one game against USC in 2022, in which he finished with a perfect 16 catches (on 16 targets) for 234 yards and a touchdown. It's arguably the game that propelled Kincaid to a first-round pick in the NFL draft (he happened to lead the team in receiving yards that year, too, which also helped).

But one year at New Mexico is not indicative of Beck's tight end usage, at least according to Beck and those who have worked with him.

At Syracuse, Beck had an NFL tight end in Oronde Gadsden II on his roster as the team's offensive coordinator in 2023. A year prior, when Beck was the QB coach, Gadsden led the team (by nearly double) with 969 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

But in the short time Beck could utilize him, Gadsden managed 67 yards and a touchdown on seven catches before suffering a season-ending injury two games into the season. A year later, when Beck went to New Mexico, Gadsden returned to full form with 934 yards and seven touchdowns. He's now on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Had Gadsden been available, he'd have remained a key element and focal point of the offense — a situation Beck wasn't going to try to change. Beck shifts his offensive playbook to tailor the offensive skillsets of the star players on the roster, even if that means it's a tight end.

"I think when you have the guys, they plan the offense around that," Utah tight end coach Freddie Whittingham said. "Maybe in New Mexico they didn't have a well-stocked tight end room, so maybe they didn't use them as much there. But I think you'll see on the field, who we believe in based on who's out there and what they're doing."

Though Utah hopes to establish the run with Devon Dampier under center and a talented backfield with Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers, among others, the tight end unit has already been a factor in the offensive game plan, Beck said.

In fact, it's been one of the most consistent position groups on offense, he added.

"They've been a strength of the (offensive) group in terms of their consistency and what they're getting done," Beck said.

That tight end room includes veteran playmaker Dallen Bentley, Utah State transfer Otto Tia, and freshman JJ Buchanan, who has been talked about by several players and coaches as having a standout fall camp.

"Yeah, he's a young guy, he's a baller," Bentley said. "He's going out there, he's working hard, and he's going out making plays — exactly what we need on this team."

"JJ is, first of all, he's a great athlete," Freddie Whittingham said. "In high school, he was a heck of a basketball player as well as a football player. ... He's turned himself more into a tight end body and learned more of the tight end craft. And so I think that the things that he combines is being able to be a tight end, but also have the athleticism of somebody that could play outside."

There's also a promising addition to the room in Hunter Andrews, who Whittingham described as a "flex" tight end — or the utility player who will factor into several different offensive schemes this season. They see Andrews in a similar role to that of "Swiss Army knife" playmaker Nate Johnson, who will also feature a unique set of schemes.

Beck's offense will utilize each of the aforementioned tight ends but likely in a different way than Ludwig did over his tenure. There may be multiple tight ends on the field, and they'll each have a different skillset that will allow them to see the field and make a difference, but it will be different.

That, Bentley said, is an exciting element to Beck's offense.

"We are used in many different ways," Bentley said. "We're playmakers, so whatever kind of abilities we have, they will utilize that. And that's pretty great about this offense, with the creative play calling and the creative way that they're using you.

"I think it's super fun," he added. "I'm able to go out there, try new things, do the things I'm good at, and able just to play ball. And that's what it's all about."

How it all comes together remains a mystery until Aug. 30, but there's confidence within the program that the tight end position at Utah will remain a staple to the team's offensive production.

Related topics