Minnesota Spring Position Preview: Tight End
In our position previews, we move onto the tight end room where Minnesota returns one of their top offensive weapons in sixth-year senior Brevyn Spann-Ford. However, there is quite a bit of question that arises after Spann-Ford.
Notably, while not listed below as neither is on campus yet, the Gophers added two tight ends to their room from the 2023 recruiting cycle in Sam Peters and Pierce Walsh.
Here's how the Gophers' tight end room looks this spring.
STARTER: Brevyn Spann-Ford
One of the most important pieces of the Gophers' offense returns in 2023 after posting a career season in 2022. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end is now in his sixth year with the program and enters the spring as one of the Big Ten's best tight ends. An All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2022, Spann_Ford led the Gophers in receptions with 42 while also posting 497 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Not only does he provide a strong, reliable pass catcher in the middle of the field But also is a fantastic run blocker and was one of the Gophers' top run blockers all of last season according to Pro Football Focus with a run blocking grade of 82.5 with over 400 run-blocking snaps.
With the Gophers' likely being a little more pass-happy this upcoming season, Spann-Ford could be a dark horse to be the Big Ten's top tight end this season thanks to his receiving abilities. He'll surely be one of the top tight ends on the board next April as well once the 2024 NFL Draft season comes around.
PRIMARY BACKUP: Nick Kallerup
Kallerup was the primary backup behind Spann-Ford in 2022 serving as a run blocker with 229 of his 308 total snaps coming on running plays. He was a strong blocker for the Gophers throughout the season, helping pave the way for Mohamed Ibrahim. I He also ended up catching two passes for 22 yards and one touchdown over the course of the 13 games he played which included four starts. In 2023, he'll likely once again be primarily a run blocker for the Gophers.
DEPTH:
When it comes to depth this spring, the Gophers have three main names to keep a note of.
Jameson Geers - The third-year tight end appeared in nine games last season for the Gophers totaling 67 snaps over those nine games, 51 of them coming as a run blocker. Geers was an average run blocker last season and will need to improve if he wants to continue to see playing time. He also had two receptions for 12 yards.
Nathan Jones - As a true freshman, Jones redshirted in the 2022 season but should be in line to see his first bit of playing time this upcoming season. As a senior at Brock High School in Texas, Jones was one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the state with 54 receptions for 802 yards and 16 touchdowns. If he can show strong consistent hands this spring, he could quickly rise up the board.
Frank Bierman (walk-on) - The walk-on from Iowa Western redshirted in the 2022 season for the Gophers. Was mostly a blocking tight end for Reivers and will have a similar role with the Gophers.
Wyatt Schroeder (walk-on) - As a sophomore Schroeder played in four games but saw just four snaps on the offensive side of the ball. The walk-on will likely once again play a smaller role.
Jack DiSano (walk-on) - DiSano redshirted as a true freshman in 2022 not appearing in any games and will likely not see the field barring any blowout circumstances potentially in 2023, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Could potentially contribute on special teams.
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