Here's Why Oklahoma Has the Personnel to Thrive at Tight End
When it comes to tight ends in contemporary college football, it’s not necessarily about schemes.
It’s about personnel.
At Oklahoma, tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby believe they have the kind of personnel that can succeed and thrive in 2022.
“We like to stretch the field,” senior Brayden Willis said Wednesday. “We do some of the same things that we did in last offense. We block, we're in-line, wing, split out. Just, you know, typical stuff. And we're stretching the field, we get out and run. And it's been fun.”
How a coach deploys his tight ends says a lot about his motives. If there’s a true commitment to a power run game, then the tight end will be a pivotal part of the offense — punishing in the running game and occasionally getting wide open in the passing game. Defenses tend to forget about covering good blockers.
Finley has explained the difference several times this spring between what his tight ends are doing this year and what his H-backs did last year. The changes are subtle, if any.
“You don’t have a true pro-style offense anymore,” Finley said. “We’ll use those guys all over the place. The slot, the wing, the backfield. You’re a quarterback who doesn’t play quarterback. You have to know everything — the protection, run game, routes, where you fit into the schemes.”
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To that end, Oklahoma’s advantages lie in the talent of its players. Willis is a breakaway threat downfield. Missouri transfer Daniel Parker is a bone-crushing blocker. And teammates say freshmen Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn have been impressive in both areas so far this spring.
“Man, they came in not like typical freshmen,” Willis said. “They’re very attentive. They pick up stuff really fast, if that makes sense. They’re fast learners, man, and that’s one of the best attributes you can have as a player. If you’ve got older guys in your position room that you can soak up knowledge from, if it only takes you one time to get something, then it’s easier to get all the other stuff.
“All the physical stuff, of course they’re gonna have. Both of ‘em are taller than me, both of them are gonna be bigger than me at some point. They both can run. But I think the biggest thing is mentally being able to come in and be focused and also pick up things really quickly. That’s gonna make them great players.”
Parker’s reputation when he stepped out of the transfer portal was well-established — and he’s only enhanced it in spring practice.
“I’ve known the kid for a couple months now, and I think it felt like I've known him for five years,” Willis said. “We have a good chemistry and we work really well together. But the biggest thing I said that he brings to the table is physicality. And I love that about him because you know, I try to pride myself on physicality as well. And I think we're gonna be a good combo.”
Finley explained that Parker arrived at Missouri in 2018 as a defensive end, and due to a series of injuries, he shifted to offense midway through training camp and eventually became a starter as a true freshman and earned SEC All-Freshman honors.
“It’s a big testament to how intelligent he is to pick up an offense in less than a year,” Finley said. “And then just how physical he played. A lot of times it’s hard for a freshman to play physical because a lot of times they have a lot of things going through their mind. He’s done well there, and he’s done well here.”
Parker said he chose OU to reunite with Finley and get some advanced coaching.
“I felt like I was a pretty decent blocker,” Parker said. “But there’s a lot of things I lacked. Like perimeter blocking and maybe my first steps. … I felt like coach Finley is really good at teaching those things. And after watching some of Brayden Willis’ film, that right there let me know that he’s an excellent blocker all around. So that just got me fired up.”
Parker has embraced his role as the new guy behind Willis — because that allows him the chance to learn from Willis.
“Getting here it was obvious to see that every player loves Brayden Willis. Every coach loves Brayden Willis,” Parker said. “So he kind of took me under his wing and I accepted this role humbly.”
Just because Willis has explosive speed and Parker is a punishing blocker doesn’t mean that’s how it has to be all the time. That’s the very nature of being a tight end — having to do both at a high level.
“I’ve always known I can run,” Willis said. “But like I said, I pride myself on being able to block and be physical at the point of attack and you still get to do that in this offense. So it's it's been nice.”
Finley has been impressed with Parker so far as he’s helped him grow new elements of his game.
“You can ask any coach on our staff,” Finley said, “and go back to our winter workouts, (Parker) brings the mindset that just gives you chills when you think about old school football. We’re going to be physical, and that’s the part he absolutely loves. He can go out and catch the ball. He does a great job of being efficient with his route running and coming off the ball. You pause the film and he’s even with the receivers at five yards because his technique is really good. It all comes back to the mindset.
“He couldn’t (have) come here at a better time, fitting in with the mindset of coach (Brent) Venables of being physical, fast and playing extremely hard. He’s a picture of that. You put his name next to that in the dictionary.”
