[Rando]

I hope we continue to be a powerful running team with big tight ends. Fleener graduates this season. Ertz and Toilolo could choose to go to the NFL draft after this season or next. Let's look at our future at tight end:

"It's exciting to have guys come along, and it's not just the older guys, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo, but also Davis Dudchock and Brandon Gottfried and a new freshman Matt Kasner who everyone's really excited about. It's exciting to be part of a group that's going to factor into the offense this year more than it has in the past."-Coby Fleener

Davis Dudchock (6'4, 237lbs - RS-FR)
Ranked by Scout.com as the #21 TE of the 2009 recruiting class.

“I think I’m an explosive player who’s versatile. I have good hands and I’m pretty well-rounded. I’d say I bring different things to the table but versatility is the main thing.”-Dudchock

"Dudchock will enjoy the West Coast offense as a big receiving threat. He has good hands and very athletic. He can block when he needs to, but will become an offensive weapon."--Andrew Bone Scout.com, 2009

Brandon Gottfried (6'5, 227lbs - RS-FR)
Unranked by Scout.com

Walk on. In HS basketball, he averaged 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game as a senior. In HS football, he played WR, DB, TE, and Long Snapper. He is athletic enough to do alley oops. His father is a high profile NCAA basketball coach.

Matt Kasner (6'4, 235lbs - FR)
Unranked by Scout.com

Walk on. Caught 32 passes for 539 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior in HS. Earned two letters in basketball. Earned the Academic Merit Award for maintaining a grade point average above 4.0 for all four years of high school. Kasner played  for Granite Bay High School, within miles of the same high schools that DB Jordan Richards and HB Jackson Cummings come from.

"Matt Kasner, a powerful tight end, will be a preferred walk-on at Stanford. He's a scholar, a 4.0 student who had Ivy League interest, and he follows in the footsteps of former Rocklin rival Jackson Cummings last season when the tailback weighed Ivy League interest and walked on at Stanford with a chance to earn a scholarship."-Sacramento Bee

Luke Kaumatule (6'7, 230lbs - HS Commit)

Kuamatule might not even play tight end. But he could. If Stanford decides to go that route with him, we have another Toilolo in the making.

“The first thing you notice about Luke Kaumatule is his size. He stands 6-foot-7 and has a case to be the top defensive end in the West. He has ideal size for the position, and has filled out much better than most players his height. Kaumatule will be a balanced defensive end. He does not have the quickness to be an elite pass rusher, but will have the ability to get after the quarterback. He should prove very stout against the run and is a player that could slide inside if he were any shorter. If everything works out, Kaumatule has the potential to be an All-Pac 12 performer."-Scout.com’s West Recruiting analyst Jake Worthen

[Rando]

I hope we continue to be a powerful running team with big tight ends. Fleener graduates this season. Ertz and Toilolo could choose to go to the NFL draft after this season or next. Let's look at our future at tight end:

"It's exciting to have guys come along, and it's not just the older guys, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo, but also Davis Dudchock and Brandon Gottfried and a new freshman Matt Kasner who everyone's really excited about. It's exciting to be part of a group that's going to factor into the offense this year more than it has in the past."-Coby Fleener

Davis Dudchock (6'4, 237lbs - RS-FR)
Ranked by Scout.com as the #21 TE of the 2009 recruiting class.

“I think I’m an explosive player who’s versatile. I have good hands and I’m pretty well-rounded. I’d say I bring different things to the table but versatility is the main thing.”-Dudchock

"Dudchock will enjoy the West Coast offense as a big receiving threat. He has good hands and very athletic. He can block when he needs to, but will become an offensive weapon."--Andrew Bone Scout.com, 2009

Brandon Gottfried (6'5, 227lbs - RS-FR)
Unranked by Scout.com

Walk on. In HS basketball, he averaged 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game as a senior. In HS football, he played WR, DB, TE, and Long Snapper. He is athletic enough to do alley oops. His father is a high profile NCAA basketball coach.

Matt Kasner (6'4, 235lbs - FR)
Unranked by Scout.com

Walk on. Caught 32 passes for 539 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior in HS. Earned two letters in basketball. Earned the Academic Merit Award for maintaining a grade point average above 4.0 for all four years of high school. Kasner played  for Granite Bay High School, within miles of the same high schools that DB Jordan Richards and HB Jackson Cummings come from.

"Matt Kasner, a powerful tight end, will be a preferred walk-on at Stanford. He's a scholar, a 4.0 student who had Ivy League interest, and he follows in the footsteps of former Rocklin rival Jackson Cummings last season when the tailback weighed Ivy League interest and walked on at Stanford with a chance to earn a scholarship."-Sacramento Bee

Luke Kaumatule (6'7, 230lbs - HS Commit)

Kuamatule might not even play tight end. But he could. If Stanford decides to go that route with him, we have another Toilolo in the making.

“The first thing you notice about Luke Kaumatule is his size. He stands 6-foot-7 and has a case to be the top defensive end in the West. He has ideal size for the position, and has filled out much better than most players his height. Kaumatule will be a balanced defensive end. He does not have the quickness to be an elite pass rusher, but will have the ability to get after the quarterback. He should prove very stout against the run and is a player that could slide inside if he were any shorter. If everything works out, Kaumatule has the potential to be an All-Pac 12 performer."-Scout.com’s West Recruiting analyst Jake Worthen

[Rando]

I can't help but want Luke Kaumatule to be our future tight end. But that's because I think the tight end position is more appealing to me than a D-lineman.

I think Gottfried and Kasner have the potential to be Whelan like walk ons. I know that Kasner went to High School about 10 minutes from me for a division 2 high school, which might factor into him not gaining much interest. Fleener seemed excited about him, which is good.

Gottfried is a hybrid between WR and TE. He is athletic and tall, but probably lacks strength of a true tight end or  acceleration/agility of a wideout. I guess we'll see as far as he goes, but he is 6'5 and can jump, so that's a plus.

Dudchock I think already plays at times. I think he is the best of the future tight ends. He was actually ranked by the recruiting services, which is good. Seems to have decent size as well. 6'4, 237. Not as lean as Gottfried.

[Rando]

I can't help but want Luke Kaumatule to be our future tight end. But that's because I think the tight end position is more appealing to me than a D-lineman.

I think Gottfried and Kasner have the potential to be Whelan like walk ons. I know that Kasner went to High School about 10 minutes from me for a division 2 high school, which might factor into him not gaining much interest. Fleener seemed excited about him, which is good.

Gottfried is a hybrid between WR and TE. He is athletic and tall, but probably lacks strength of a true tight end or  acceleration/agility of a wideout. I guess we'll see as far as he goes, but he is 6'5 and can jump, so that's a plus.

Dudchock I think already plays at times. I think he is the best of the future tight ends. He was actually ranked by the recruiting services, which is good. Seems to have decent size as well. 6'4, 237. Not as lean as Gottfried.

[fullmetal]

Maybe Gottfried should look into joining a second varsity sports team as a walk-on...!

As long as this new crop of TEs can run well, there should be no problem.  It's that great combination of speed (+hands) and blocking ability that allows them to see the field.  By the way, have the TEs been run-blocking better?  And how effective has Hewitt been as a fullback-Marecic-replacement?

[fullmetal]

Maybe Gottfried should look into joining a second varsity sports team as a walk-on...!

As long as this new crop of TEs can run well, there should be no problem.  It's that great combination of speed (+hands) and blocking ability that allows them to see the field.  By the way, have the TEs been run-blocking better?  And how effective has Hewitt been as a fullback-Marecic-replacement?

[socalstanfan1]

One more player who may merit some attention as a future tight end is Devon Cajuste.  He was recruited as a WR, but some of the recruiting services felt he would develop into a TE (6-4, 215 when recruited, according to Scout.com, which also ranked him as the #36 TE in the country), so it seems like he might be able to add some weight.  If the coached do move him in that direction, could he be a Fleener type? Very athletic for the position, great hands...It will be interesting to see what he looks like when spring practice rolls around.

I would like to see us get one more TE in this year's class, if possible, but if one of those walk-ons develops, and if either Ertz or Toilolo (or both) stay on for another year, we should be good.  I would think that Toilolo might stay so he could polish his credentials as a top college TE.  He missed all of last year and has only recently been contributing this year.  But who knows.

[socalstanfan1]

One more player who may merit some attention as a future tight end is Devon Cajuste.  He was recruited as a WR, but some of the recruiting services felt he would develop into a TE (6-4, 215 when recruited, according to Scout.com, which also ranked him as the #36 TE in the country), so it seems like he might be able to add some weight.  If the coached do move him in that direction, could he be a Fleener type? Very athletic for the position, great hands...It will be interesting to see what he looks like when spring practice rolls around.

I would like to see us get one more TE in this year's class, if possible, but if one of those walk-ons develops, and if either Ertz or Toilolo (or both) stay on for another year, we should be good.  I would think that Toilolo might stay so he could polish his credentials as a top college TE.  He missed all of last year and has only recently been contributing this year.  But who knows.