Oklahoma State University Athletics
Spring Preview: Tight Ends
April 05, 2015 | Cowboy Football
April 5, 2015
The Bottom Line
Tight end is a position where Mike Gundy's philosophy has morphed to suit his personnel over the years. Brandon Pettigrew was an All-American for the Cowboys in this very spot in 2007 and 2008 and went on to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. When he left, OSU all but abandoned the tight end spot and went to an Air Raid-inspired system. It has now come back to OSU using tight ends as a regular part of the offense and with proven playmakers Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton back in 2015 and joined by Zac Veatch and Jordan Frazier, there are some options to choose from.
STILLWATER - Over the span of the past couple recruiting cycles, Mike Gundy has quietly stockpiled the Oklahoma State roster with players who can make a difference at the tight end position.
OSU's offense, previously known for outside threats such as All-Americans and Biletnikoff Award-winners like Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon, began to show its flexibility in 2014 by regularly incorporating Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton as regular contributors from the tight end position. Those two return in 2015 and are bolstered by the addition of tight end-turned-offensive-lineman-back-to-tight-end Zac Veatch and redshirt freshman Jordan Frazier.
OSU's offense, previously known for outside threats such as All-Americans and Biletnikoff Award-winners like Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon, began to show its flexibility in 2014 by regularly incorporating Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton as regular contributors from the tight end position. Those two return in 2015 and are bolstered by the addition of tight end-turned-offensive-lineman-back-to-tight-end Zac Veatch and redshirt freshman Jordan Frazier.
Based purely on their contributions last season, the most likely scenario at this position is that Jarwin and Seaton get the bulk of the reps, with Veatch used primarily as a blocker.
At 6-foot-5, 242 pounds and very athletic with good hands and light feet, Jarwin may just be scratching the surface of what he is capable of. He made five receptions for 107 yards with a touchdown last season. His 21.4 yards-per-reception figure stands out as reason to believe that he is capable of being a damaging figure to opposing defenses.
As for Seaton, his role in the passing game took off as last year progressed. Of his 13 receptions in 2014, nine came in the final four weeks of the season. Seaton has split time between tight end and fullback and is a candidate to do it again in 2015.
Veatch at tight end is intriguing. He played tight end in high school, but was converted to offensive line as a freshman in 2013, where he eventually ascended into the starting lineup for 10 games in 2014. He was moved back to tight end for the final two games of last season, where he remains going into 2015. What makes him interesting is the fact that he is a natural tight end, but now has the added mentality and tactics of an offensive lineman. He is much different stylistically than Jarwin or Seaton, but could be a good complement, given his diverse skill set.
Entering into the mix this year is Jordan Frazier, who redshirted last year but will get some reps during the offseason to show what he is capable of.
The Bottom Line
Tight end is a position where Mike Gundy's philosophy has morphed to suit his personnel over the years. Brandon Pettigrew was an All-American for the Cowboys in this very spot in 2007 and 2008 and went on to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. When he left, OSU all but abandoned the tight end spot and went to an Air Raid-inspired system. It has now come back to OSU using tight ends as a regular part of the offense and with proven playmakers Blake Jarwin and Jeremy Seaton back in 2015 and joined by Zac Veatch and Jordan Frazier, there are some options to choose from.
Players Mentioned
CW
/ Cowboy Football
CW
/ Cowboy Football
FB/TE
/ Cowboy Football
CW
/ Cowboy FootballFriday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
