Coaching Breakdown: 2020 Tight End Luke Lachey

The incoming Iowa tight end drew comparisons to Jimmy Graham and Noah Fant.

If you ask Grandview Heights football coach Jason Peters to name a specific play when he hears the name Luke Lachey, plenty come to mind.

A one-handed interception. A monster catch over three defenders in seven-on-seven. Filling in for an injured quarterback and breaking three tackles in route to a 50-yard touchdown.

And the list goes on from there.

“The things he makes look routine would be impossible for a lot of kids,” Peters said.

247Sports ranks Lachey as a four-star tight end, the sixth best player at that position nationally, and had offers from Michigan State, Iowa State, LSU, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, among others before ultimately selecting Iowa.

Here’s how Peters breaks down the incoming Hawkeye tight end’s game:

Comparisons to Jimmy Graham and Noah Fant

Lachey is a dynamic player in the receiving game, to say the least.

On paper, he's a mismatch; he's too tall for defensive backs (6-foot-6) and too quick for linebackers (he was a state medalist in the 4x400 meter relay).

“He catches the ball so easily and effortlessly,” Peters said. “The way he runs routes, he gets open, he knows how to wiggle his hips and set people up so that he can get open. Once he has the ball in his hands, he’s hard to bring down. Once he gets up to speed, not a lot of guys are going to run him down.”

Lachey’s basketball background helps on the football field, too. According to his coach, there are similarities when it comes to high-pointing a football and boxing out for a rebound, both with getting position and leaping ability.

In turn, Peters pointed to a pair of successful tight ends with basketball backgrounds as comparison’s to Lachey.

“(He’s a) Jimmy Graham type dude, and to some degree, Noah Fant,” he said. “It was T.J. Hockenson that had his hand on the ground. Fant didn’t have his hand on the ground a ton. He’s that kind of more athletic hybrid guy. He’s in that mold.”

Versatility is Lachey’s best asset

While Peters pointed to Fant as a player comparable in terms of play style, Peters said Lachey isn’t afraid to get his hands full in the run game.

“Maybe some of that comes from his dad in blocking,” Peters said. “(Jim Lachey) was good at that stuff. He takes a lot of pride in being a good blocker as well.”

With Lachey’s ability both as a blocker and as a weapon in the passing game, Peters said he could see Iowa utilizing him in a variety of ways: in the backfield, in-line with his hand in the dirt, and even split out wide.

“With Iowa, when they had Fant and Hockenson, they could go double tight one play and be three-by-two empty the next play, with or without a tight end with his hand in the ground,” he said. “(Lachey) He can do that. You can put him in the middle of trips and let him block, you can sit him on a post, you can put him backside one-on-one with somebody. You’re just going to be able to do so many things with him because he is so athletic and versatile.”

Strides in the weight room

Peters said that Lachey will have to add some weight at the next level, something he hasn’t had many opportunities to do in high school.

He hasn’t had time to fully immerse himself in weights due to being a three-sport athlete, but with a cancelled track season due to COVID-19, that’s changed.

According to Peters, Lachey utilized this break in the action to bulk up before heading to Iowa City.

“(Lachey) was probably 215-220 at the end of the season. He’s 235 right now, that’s what he’s told me,” Peters said. “Between playing track and basketball, he just ran weight off. It was hard to keep the weight on. Now, he’s got a chance to grow and develop.”

Incredible player, better person

Peters had nothing but high praise for Lachey’s character, both on and off the football field.

“For as incredible a player as he is, he’s probably a better person,” Peters said.

One story came to mind, as Peters recalled a conversation with his two young sons. When he asked them what they wanted to be for Halloween, they replied, “Luke.”

“The first thing that jumps into my mind is Luke Skywalker,” Peters said. “But no, they wanted Luke Lachey. I was talking to one of them later and asked, ‘Why do you like Luke so much?’ And he’s like, ‘Because he listens to me.’ This was, at the time, a five-year-old kid who didn’t say he talks to him, but that he listens to him. That’s just who Luke is.”

For additional content, follow Adam Hensley on Twitter @A_Hens83.