The Minnesota Tight End group only accumulated 10 catches last season for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the 2019 campaign, but their impact on the field went far beyond receptions. Four of the top seven spots in terms of run blocking grade amongst Gophers belonged to tight ends, and the average offensive grade among those four was above 80. It did not show up on the stat sheet, but tight end was one of the better position groups the Gophers had last year based on Pro Football Focus grades. While a continued contribution on the ground is expected for this group, there is reason to believe that their role in the passing game could increase under co-offensive coordinators Mike Sanford Jr. and Matt Simon.
Who's Gone?
Nobody! Minnesota is returning every tight end from last year's team.
Who's Back?
Jake Paulson
Redshirt junior Jake Paulson finished last season with just four catches for 51 yards, but he contributed in the running game very well as a blocker, grading out at 78.7 over the course of the year and was never penalized. The Louisville, Kentucky native looks to be the Gophers TE1 coming into the season if he can remain healthy, but needs to improve his consistency as a pass catcher if he wants to be targeted more often. He was only targeted five times and caught four of them, but that one he dropped was a sure touchdown against Nebraska with no one around him. He’s proven he belongs on the field as a blocker, now it’s time for him to take the next step.
Brevyn-Spann Ford
Marshall, Minnesota product Brevyn Spann-Ford played in 10 total games last season and was on the field for 114 total snaps. In that time, he earned the highest offensive grade on the Gophers at 94.1 and highest run block rating on the team at 86. Spann-Ford was also only targeted five times and caught four of them for 25 yards, but he also caught his first touchdown of his career against Illinois. The 6’7” redshirt sophomore has a flashed ability that coaches think can land him in the NFL after his days as a Gopher are up, and if there is anyone that I feel safe picking as the breakout offensive player for Minnesota in 2020, it’s Brevyn Spann-Ford.
Ko Kieft
Redshirt senior Ko Kieft led all Gopher tight ends with 370 snaps in 2019 because of his ability as a run blocker. His 74.6 run blocking grade was good for sixth on the team this past season. Of his snaps, he was on the field for 256 plays where his assignment was to run block, 81 where he was to pass block, and just 33 where he was out on a route. Kieft is entering his fourth season as a Gopher with only seven targets and three receptions. However, his offensive grade has been over 71 each year, and his run block grade has been above 74 each year. Do not expect Kieft to be targeted often, but you can expect him to do his job well each time he’s called into action.
Bryce Witham
Redshirt senior Bryce Witham is like Kieft in that he has his specific role, but he does it very well. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native graded out at 83.6 on offense, good for sixth on the team, and 78.6 as a run blocker, good for fifth. Witham finished the year with two targets and two catches for 12 yards and a touchdown. One of those was a backwards-sprawling one-hander on fourth down that helped put away Auburn in the Outback Bowl and the other was a touchdown in the same game against the Tigers.
Clayton Witherspoon
Eden Prairie native Clayton Witherspoon played in just seven snaps last season for the Gophers and he was blocking for each one of them. He had a role on special teams in three games last year.
Nick Kallerup
Wayzata native Nick Kallerup spent his true freshman season redshirting for the Golden Gophers. As a senior for the Trojans, Kallerup amassed 34 receptions for 647 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to All-State, All-Conference, and All-Metro teams. The 6’5” walk-on showed the ability in high school to go up and get the ball, run solid routes, block in the run and pass game, and show decent speed. He may be one to watch at the position once Witham and Kieft move on after next year.
Who's Coming In?
Austin Henderson
The Gophers signed 6’5” three-star tight end Austin Henderson over Indiana, Iowa State, and others. On film the Nashville, Tennessee standout shows good hands and bruising ability as a blocker plus as a runner after the catch. Henderson's aggressiveness as a blocker makes him an ideal fit for the Gophers tight end room.
Wyatt Schroeder
Walking-on at the position is St. Francis, Minnesota’s Wyatt Schroeder. As a senior, Schroeder caught 31 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns. Over his career, Schroeder had 1,543 yards and 14 touchdowns on 119 catches and holds school records in receptions, yards, and receptions in a season.
