New Offense, New Hope for UF Tight Ends

Gators tight end R.J. Raymond is optimistic the position group will produce much more than 26 catches as in 2017. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

New Offense, New Hope for UF Tight Ends

Monday, August 13, 2018 | Football

By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com correspondent

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators' tight ends, like most of the offense, woefully underproduced in 2017. Try 26 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Current Jacksonville Jaguar DeAndre Goolsby was responsible for 13 of the receptions, leaving UF with 13 returning catches from the position.

"There will be times when there'll be more than 13 catches between the group of us in one game, I feel like," redshirt senior R.J. Raymond said.

How will they do it?

For starters, the personnel is different with Coach Dan Mullen and his staff adding three intriguing prospects over the summer.

Redshirt sophomore Lucas Krull, who played baseball at Jefferson College (Mo.), seems poised to make the most immediate impact. At 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, he has the ideal size and speed to be an important target over the middle of the field. In the portions of practice open to the media, he has been primarily working with the 'twos' behind redshirt senior C'yontai Lewis.

Florida also added two freshmen, Dante Lang and Kyle Pitts. Pitts was a high school All-American who chose UF over a slew of big-time offers, including Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. He figures to have a chance at contributing this year.

"When he first came in, I didn't know he was only 17," redshirt senior Moral Stephens said. "That shocked me. He's going to be great. As of right now, he's just trying to get better. He's only a freshman, but I do think he's going to be pretty good."

Meanwhile, Lang is viewed as more of a developmental player, having played primarily defensive end in high school before moving to tight end for his senior season.
The Gators will also welcome Kemore Gamble into the rotation. Gamble was a highly recruited prospect in the class of 2017 who redshirted a year ago.

With so much youth and inexperience, it's important that the Gators receive strong veteran leadership from Lewis, Raymond and Stephens.

"[Teaching the younger guys] has been fun," Raymond said. "It's helped me a lot, learning the playbook. Everybody always says teaching is a good way to retain what you're learning. It's all a learning experience, but we're bringing them along, and they're doing a great job. They're really focusing on getting their details right and the fundamentals and trying to do the right thing. They're coming along nicely."

Raymond, a walk-on who lined up at fullback in short-yardage and goal line situations in 2017, is playing tight end now. He said the new offensive scheme is simpler for the tight ends and gives them more freedom to make plays in the passing game.

"[The coaches] are just letting the whole offense go and do what we do," he said. "I think it's going to increase tenfold from our production last year."

Added Stephens: "I feel like Mullen does a great job with space, getting us in open space. I can get in open space and make some plays."

Whereas former coach Jim McElwain and his staff primarily used the tight ends for run-blocking and check-downs, Mullen and company emphasize the position as a key component of the passing attack. Tight ends could be a primary target on a play, not just a last resort.

In Mullen's four-year stint as offensive coordinator at UF from 2005-08, a tight end finished among the top four on the team in receptions three times.

Gamble said new position coach Larry Scott is teaching the group better techniques and fundamentals and some of the nuances of the position that they didn't know previously.

"They're responding really well, and I really do think we have the guys to fill that role that we need them to have in this offense," Scott said.

Of course, just because the tight ends have improved doesn't guarantee improvement in the box scores. A lot of that hinges on the development of the Gators quarterbacks and offensive line. There were times last season when Goolsby or Lewis would be open down the field, but UF's quarterbacks either didn't see them or didn't have enough time to get the throws off. If Florida gets improved quarterback and offensive line play, the middle of the field should become a weapon once again.

Lewis has been known for tweeting #WontBeLong the past couple of years, which expresses his belief that personal and team success is right around the corner.

With new players, coaches, schemes and philosophies in place, maybe this time he'll be right.

"I feel like the tight ends are under the radar, but I feel like this year a lot of that is going to change," Stephens said.