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Photo by: Kyle Zedaker
2020 Vision: Tight Ends
6/22/2020 10:32:00 AM | Football
Will Minnesota's tight end group see more passes this year?
Music to their ears?Â
Perhaps.Â
Minnesota's new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr., has publicly hinted at using the tight end position more in the passing game this year.Â
This seemingly good news comes after Clay Patterson's tight end group, which historically has excelled at blocking, caught a combined 16 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns the past two seasons.Â
The group is led by Bryce Witham, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, and fifth-year senior Ko Kieft. Fellow fifth year Bailey Schoenfelder played linebacker his first four years at Minnesota, but was working out with the tight ends during spring practice before it was halted.Â
Witham has also excelled as a blocker during his time in the Maroon and Gold, but he does have five career catches for 87 yards and one touchdown in 33 games. He made three catches for 75 yards in 2018 and his two catches last year both came in Minnesota's Outback Bowl win against Auburn. Witham hauled in a 1-yard touchdown from Seth Green against Auburn in the second quarter and then made a one-handed catch for 11 yards on fourth down late in the game that sealed the win for the Gophers.Â
Kieft has played in 37 career games and has three catches for 36 yards. He has been a mainstay in the offensive game though, as he has blocked for an offense that totaled 5,616 yards (third most in school history) in 2019 and 4,935 yards in 2018.Â
Jake Paulson has played in 22 career games and has made six catches for 68 yards and one touchdown. He missed four games last season with an injury, but caught four balls for 51 yards. In 2018, he played in all 13 games and made two catches for 17 yards. His lone touchdown also came from the hands of Green, as the Paulson and the wildcat quarterback connected for 11 yards in a win against Purdue.Â
Clayton Witherspoon will be a redshirt junior in the fall and made his collegiate debut for Minnesota last year. He played in three games on special teams and saw action against Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland.Â
Brevyn Spann-Ford has potential to be the biggest benefactor in Minnesota's passing game if the tight end position is featured more prominently. Spann-Ford is 6-7 and presents difficulties for nearly any defender who lines up against him. The St. Cloud, Minn., native has played in 16 career games and has made four catches – all coming last season – for 25 yards and one touchdown. His first career catch was a 12-yard touchdown from Tanner Morgan against Illinois last season.Â
Nick Kallerup is redshirt freshman who did not see game action last season. In 2018, as a senior at Wayzata High School, he made 34 receptions for 647 yards and scored seven touchdowns as he was named First Team USA Today All State.Â
Minnesota also welcomes two freshman tight ends to the lineup this year in Austin Henderson and Wyatt Schroeder.Â
Henderson was a consensus three-star recruit and was ranked the No. 32 tight end in the country by ESPN. He helped lead Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., to the semifinals of the Tennessee Division II Class AAA State Championship last season with 21 receptions and 232 yards.
Schroeder attended St. Francis High School in Saint Francis, Minn., and was named to the North Central All-District team in 2018 and 2019. He holds school records in receptions, yards and receptions in a seasonÂ
Â
Perhaps.Â
Minnesota's new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr., has publicly hinted at using the tight end position more in the passing game this year.Â
This seemingly good news comes after Clay Patterson's tight end group, which historically has excelled at blocking, caught a combined 16 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns the past two seasons.Â
The group is led by Bryce Witham, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, and fifth-year senior Ko Kieft. Fellow fifth year Bailey Schoenfelder played linebacker his first four years at Minnesota, but was working out with the tight ends during spring practice before it was halted.Â
Witham has also excelled as a blocker during his time in the Maroon and Gold, but he does have five career catches for 87 yards and one touchdown in 33 games. He made three catches for 75 yards in 2018 and his two catches last year both came in Minnesota's Outback Bowl win against Auburn. Witham hauled in a 1-yard touchdown from Seth Green against Auburn in the second quarter and then made a one-handed catch for 11 yards on fourth down late in the game that sealed the win for the Gophers.Â
Kieft has played in 37 career games and has three catches for 36 yards. He has been a mainstay in the offensive game though, as he has blocked for an offense that totaled 5,616 yards (third most in school history) in 2019 and 4,935 yards in 2018.Â
Jake Paulson has played in 22 career games and has made six catches for 68 yards and one touchdown. He missed four games last season with an injury, but caught four balls for 51 yards. In 2018, he played in all 13 games and made two catches for 17 yards. His lone touchdown also came from the hands of Green, as the Paulson and the wildcat quarterback connected for 11 yards in a win against Purdue.Â
Clayton Witherspoon will be a redshirt junior in the fall and made his collegiate debut for Minnesota last year. He played in three games on special teams and saw action against Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland.Â
Brevyn Spann-Ford has potential to be the biggest benefactor in Minnesota's passing game if the tight end position is featured more prominently. Spann-Ford is 6-7 and presents difficulties for nearly any defender who lines up against him. The St. Cloud, Minn., native has played in 16 career games and has made four catches – all coming last season – for 25 yards and one touchdown. His first career catch was a 12-yard touchdown from Tanner Morgan against Illinois last season.Â
Nick Kallerup is redshirt freshman who did not see game action last season. In 2018, as a senior at Wayzata High School, he made 34 receptions for 647 yards and scored seven touchdowns as he was named First Team USA Today All State.Â
Minnesota also welcomes two freshman tight ends to the lineup this year in Austin Henderson and Wyatt Schroeder.Â
Henderson was a consensus three-star recruit and was ranked the No. 32 tight end in the country by ESPN. He helped lead Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., to the semifinals of the Tennessee Division II Class AAA State Championship last season with 21 receptions and 232 yards.
Schroeder attended St. Francis High School in Saint Francis, Minn., and was named to the North Central All-District team in 2018 and 2019. He holds school records in receptions, yards and receptions in a seasonÂ
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