LSU Football 2021 Tight End Target Thomas Fidone SI All-American Player Profile
The future of the tight end position in Baton Rouge is bright for at least the next three years. The Tigers have brought in versatile prospect Arik Gilbert, who the program believes can be one of the best all-around players to ever set foot on campus.
Gilbert will not only line up at tight end for the purple and gold but in the slot and on the outside during his tenure as well. That's a little kept secret that coach Ed Orgeron has already revealed to the public.
"Obviously, we can use him at tight end. That's easy, but we can split him out at X, we can put him at the S, we can use him," Orgeron said on 104.5 ESPN's Off The Bench. "Scott Linehan was with Megatron (Calvin Johnson) at Detroit. There's the same plays that we can use with Arik with Megatron. I'm not going to say he's going to be Megatron, but he's a good player and we can get some mismatches with this kid."
Adding an elite tight end out of the 2021 class would be a welcomed addition and there aren't many more prospects with a higher grade than Thomas Fidone. Fidone has announced that he will make his commitment on Aug. 26. The final list of schools include LSU, Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa.
In anticipation of Fidone's impending commitment, here's his SI All-American player profile:
Frame: Long and lean. Average width in chest and shoulders. Budding muscle. Slender lower half, with tightly-wound trunk. Plenty of room to add good mass at next level.
Athleticism: Elite short-area quickness. Rare ability to get in and out of cuts for big man. Good long speed; easy strider. Excellent hands. Impressive aerial body control, high-pointing and contorting to football. Adequate play strength at best.
Instincts: Innate ability to track ball in air. Keen spatial awareness; toe-tapper near the sideline. Not especially powerful or elusive as ball-carrier. Routinely fools defensive backs getting out of breaks. Position blocker; needs to get more physical.
Polish: High-level route-runner. Varies release at LOS and consistently attacks leverage of defensive backs. Mostly plays wide; must improve strength, technique as blocker. Natural physical gain in collegiate program could accelerate in-line progression.
Bottom Line: Fidone is a long, reliable and versatile pass-catcher capable of producing all over the field. Needs more experience lined up in tight, but athleticism ensures he’ll line up in multiple spots across formation. Early playing time depends on size development, but will be multi-year starter and potential NFL player regardless.
