Is Arkansas becoming the new Tight End-U?
When tight end Luke Ford announced his commitment via Twitter on Tuesday, many of the congratulatory replies he received from Hog fans tabbed Arkansas as 'Tight End-U.'
Granted, those hashtag titles are often used very loosely on social media, but in this case there is evidence to support Arkansas owning the #TEU label as of late.
For many years, the Miami Hurricanes were the first team that came to mind as Tight End-U, and rightfully so. Notre Dame probably would have been considered, as well. But now the big picture suggests Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks may be entering a class of their own when it comes to the tight end position.
After all, Arkansas has had two of the last seven Mackey Award winners (and is the only school with more than one), and Bielema has had more tight ends drafted than any other coach in college football over the last ten years.
Based on the latest projections for the 2017 NFL Draft, Bielema will hold on to the top spot after all the tight ends are taken next month:
| Coach/School | Tight Ends Drafted |
|---|---|
|
1. Bret Bielema | Wisconsin, Arkansas |
6 (three at Wisconsin, three at Arkansas) |
|
2. Urban Meyer | Florida, Ohio State |
4 (two at Florida, two at Ohio State) |
|
2. Bob Stoops | Oklahoma |
4 |
|
2. Brian Kelly | Notre Dame |
4 |
|
2. David Shaw | Stanford |
4 |
|
2. Kirk Ferentz | Iowa |
4 |
|
7. Nick Saban | Alabama |
3 |
|
7. Randy Shannon | Miami |
3 |
|
7. Mark Richt | Georgia, Miami |
3 (two at Georgia, one at Miami) |
|
10. Pete Carroll | USC |
2 |
|
10. Jim Harbaugh | Stanford, Michigan |
2 (one at Stanford, one at Michigan) |
|
10. Mark Dantonio | Michigan State |
2 |
The number of drafted tight ends is impressive, especially considering Bielema's staff has accomplished it at two programs that don't exactly have the same talent pool as other programs on the list.
But there's more to it than just Bielema's numbers.
Arkansas, as a program, is on the verge of having its fifth straight tight end drafted next month. The streak began with 2010 Mackey Award winner D.J. Williams, who played under former head coach Bobby Petrino and was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
Several years later, the Hogs' most recent Mackey winner, Hunter Henry, is quickly becoming a star after leading the NFL in touchdowns among tight ends as a rookie.
The good news for Arkansas is that this current run of success likely won't end anytime soon.
Arkansas signed the nation's top JUCO tight end, Jeremy Patton, in the Class of 2017. Former four-star Cheyenne O'Grady has loads of talent and has been waiting his turn. Grayson Gunter, commonly referred to as "Little Hunter" based on things he's shown in practice, showed flashes of big-play ability as a true freshman.
Austin Cantrell, veteran Jack Kraus, and two more former four-stars in Will Gragg and Jamario Bell round out a very deep and talented group. And just to ensure there's no drop-off in talent in 2018, Arkansas added one of the nation's top prospects on Tuesday.
Will Arkansas ever be widely considered Tight End-U? Only time will tell, but the Hogs' latest commitment is all-in.
"They call it Tight End-U for a reason," Ford said. "It really is Tight End-U."