Choosing a UW Starting Lineup: Husky Tight End is a Two-Man Job
At Washington, tight end is a two-man job.
It's such an important position for the Huskies, they start a pair of them. Bookends. One on each end.
The UW eschews the more popular, three-wideout lineup in favor of trotting out a pair of tall, mobile and physical players who present all sorts of problems for opposing defenses.
Sometimes one of these tight ends is such an athletic football player, he resembles a wide receiver. He can go deep.
Picture Hunter Bryant and Will Dissly coming at you on the same play.
Drew Sample and Darrell Daniels.
Going back in time, Mark Bruener and Ernie Conwell.
The UW typically has two NFL-bound tight ends on the field at all times.
Besides the aforementioned names, this enlightened player group also includes Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Josh Perkins, Jeremy Brigham, Jeremy Stevens, Aaron Pierce, Rod Jones, John Brady, Ace Bulger and Lee Folkins.
These players must have a certain height, strength and dexterity to pull significant minutes for the offense. He's got to be able to block and catch. No exceptions.
With Jimmy Lake's team in forced pandemic pause this fall, Husky Maven is taking advantage of the down time to choose a starting lineup for him. This is pick No. 6, the first of two tight ends.
Leading TE candidates: Cade Otton, 6-5, 240, junior; Devin Culp, 6-3, 255, sophomore; Jacob Kizer, 6-5, 258, senior; Jack Westover, 6-3, 243, sophomore; Mason West, 6-3, 242, freshman; Mark Redman, 6-6, 239, freshman.
TE starting experience: Otton has 24 starts; Kizer has 3 starts; Westover has 1 start in a WR slot position.
Our selection: Otton. No-brainer. After the requisite redshirt year to build proper college-level strength, Otton has been a tight-end fixture starting opposite Drew Sample and then Hunter Bryant. Sample plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, Hunter is trying to make it as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions. Put them all together, and Otton might be the most well-rounded player and intriguing pro prospect of the bunch. He catches better than Sample, fully capable of one-handed receptions, and blocks better than Bryant, who would have been drafted high had he been a better blocker. A legendary high school coach's grandson, Otton does everything right. Sharing stats with the other tight end, he has 45 catches for 518 yards and 5 touchdowns in two seasons, numbers he could easily exceed in his coming junior year alone. The only thing Otton lacks is a reputation. With his size, production and promise, he should be part of the discussion for All-American honors, but it hasn't happened yet. It will.
Other options: The only thing that will change here is who gets the most minutes opposite Otton. He's not going anywhere. The host of others are competing for the second tight-end starting job. If Otton wasn't available, Culp or Kizer likely would step in as the lead tight end.
Greatest Husky TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He was one of those hybrid tight ends for the Huskies, packing a 6-6, 276-pound frame but able to really get out and run. It shows in his accomplishments that have stood the test of time since 2013 — school records for tight-end career receptions (146), career yards (1,840), career touchdowns (21), single-season receptions (69) and single-season yards (850). He was a third-team AP All-American selection twice.
Other legendary UW TEs: Jeremy Stevens, a first-round NFL draft pick, 28th overall, for the Seattle Seahawks in 2002; Mark Bruener, a first-round pick, 27th overall, for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995; Aaron Pierce, starter for 1991 national championship team; and Lee Folkins, starter for 1960 and 1961 Rose Bowl teams. Folkins also is noteworthy for getting electrocuted on an industrial job site and surviving after football.
The UW Starting Lineup:
Left tackle — Victor Curne
Left guard — Ulumoo Ale
Center — Luke Wattenberg
Right guard — Corey Luciano
Right tackle — Henry Bainivalu
Tight end — Cade Otton
Tight end —
Wide receiver —
Wide receiver —
Running back —
Quarterback —
Kicker —
Punter —
Outside linebacker —
Defensive tackle —
Defensive tackle —
Outside linebacker —
Inside linebacker —
Inside linebacker —
Cornerback —
Cornerback —
Nickel back —
Strong safety —
Free safety —
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