Georgia Tech Tight End Kevin Roche Jr Is Turning Heads This Spring

Coming out of high school in Connecticut, Kevin Roche Jr was a star player at Darien High School. He was a top 10 player in his state and was a mismatch for opposing defenses with his height and size. At 6’8 and 250 pounds defenses didn’t have an answer for him. It was more like he was just outrebounding smaller guards and players. With Roche, it wasn’t just height; he was a superior athlete and even played lacrosse in high school.

Coming into college, he was still a little bit raw and had to work on some things coming in as a true freshman, like putting on weight, learning the scheme and system and fine-tuning his game. Roche came in and took it seriously after redshirting his freshman season. He is now making some noise and turning heads in the spring. It is looking very likely that he will be able to find a role on offense in 2026. His tight ends coach, Nathan Brock, chimed in.

“Kevin is doing a great job. He's had a great spring. He has gotten better every single day. And his want to and his effort, his give a s**** factor is through the roof. He loves football. He loves coming out here. I think that he's doing a great job. Truthfully, like he's put on some weight, right? He looks good out there. And yeah, you're right. Like nobody makes six eight, know, 265-pound guys that can run 20 miles an hour, right? So he's able to help us in a lot of different ways. Really excited to continue seeing the steps he takes and the fall he has,” said Brock.

When you take a closer look, you see that Roche Jr is a complete tight end for the Yellow Jackets. Everyone has their specialities that they are good at, whether it is receiving the ball, blocking, chipping, or being an extra layer of defense for the offensive line. However, it looks like Roche can do it all. Catch seam routes, block, fundamentally sound, tough as a bull, and has a problem with the ball after the catch. To have all those tools developed and ready in just a year and heading into your second year speaks volumes. Head coach Brent Key has also been impressed with Roche this spring.

“I think Kevin (Roche) has really improved this spring. Kevin's got a high, high ceiling as a football player. He's 6'7", 265 pounds, can run, can block, and bend. He's a total package; he's a tight end. I would dare to say we have more people coaching that position right now than anywhere in the country, holding them to a very, very high standard of what we've got to get done. Whether it be blocking the run game, routes, route technique, or pad level in his routes. Run after the catch, he had a really good day today, but he had a really good day,” said Key.

When you look at the tight end room for the Yellow Jackets, it is loaded with talent and guys who each bring something different to the table. It might be the most talented group Coach Brock has been in front of with Gavin Harris, Spencer Mermans, Chris Corbo, Kevin Roche Jr, and Nathan Agyemang. It looks like Roche will have a big impact despite a very talented room and should be a contributor in 2026.