[Hank 91]

Here's an interesting -- and stat-heavy -- look at the increased use of tight ends in college football. Naturally, the article leads with Stanford.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/tig...:ncf:teams

[Hank 91]

Here's an interesting -- and stat-heavy -- look at the increased use of tight ends in college football. Naturally, the article leads with Stanford.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/tig...:ncf:teams

[BostonCard]

“Shaw was ahead of his peers on one front”

Just going to leave that up there for some here to tear down.

BC

[BostonCard]

“Shaw was ahead of his peers on one front”

Just going to leave that up there for some here to tear down.

BC

[Mick]

I think Bill Walsh (and then George Seifert) was fairly advanced in using tight ends.  1981, Super Bowl, Charley Young caught 37 passes, 10.8 yards per reception.  Russ Francis caught 44 in 1985 for 10.9 ypr.

It's funny, in my mind's eye, I remember John Frank as a pass-catching tight end, but he was really more of a blocker.  65 catches in 65 career games.

Then came Brent Jones.  For three years, he was a 6'4" 190 lb WR at D2 Santa Clara, then bulked up to 235 his senior year.   Drafted by the Steelers, hurt, sent to the Niners for three bags of barbecue flavor potato chips.  417 career catches, 12.5 ypc, two seasons with more than 60 catches, seven seasons with at least 40 catches.  4x pro bowl.  Brent was the anti-blocking TE, I remember Keith Millard running right through him.

[Mick]

I think Bill Walsh (and then George Seifert) was fairly advanced in using tight ends.  1981, Super Bowl, Charley Young caught 37 passes, 10.8 yards per reception.  Russ Francis caught 44 in 1985 for 10.9 ypr.

It's funny, in my mind's eye, I remember John Frank as a pass-catching tight end, but he was really more of a blocker.  65 catches in 65 career games.

Then came Brent Jones.  For three years, he was a 6'4" 190 lb WR at D2 Santa Clara, then bulked up to 235 his senior year.   Drafted by the Steelers, hurt, sent to the Niners for three bags of barbecue flavor potato chips.  417 career catches, 12.5 ypc, two seasons with more than 60 catches, seven seasons with at least 40 catches.  4x pro bowl.  Brent was the anti-blocking TE, I remember Keith Millard running right through him.

[Leftcoast]

Anti-Blocking TE?

Sure, at the start of his career but Jones improved at that side of his position in later years particularly in one memorable season when the 49ers line was banged up and Jones was kept close for blocking.  His stats were down but Steve Young stayed (mostly) up.

Admittedly, he had a long way to come - He played WR at Santa Clara.

(Just checking ... brobdingnagian, Cal, Notre Dame, Willingham, Teevens, Harris, Davis)

[Leftcoast]

Anti-Blocking TE?

Sure, at the start of his career but Jones improved at that side of his position in later years particularly in one memorable season when the 49ers line was banged up and Jones was kept close for blocking.  His stats were down but Steve Young stayed (mostly) up.

Admittedly, he had a long way to come - He played WR at Santa Clara.

(Just checking ... brobdingnagian, Cal, Notre Dame, Willingham, Teevens, Harris, Davis)

[donkey687]

Two questions that i have are:

1) What makes Parkinson a Tight End? His size? He rarely lines up next to the Tackle. He is usually in the slot or split wide.

2) Given Stanford's use of the tight end, why haven't we recruited more of them? Parkinson will likely go pro leaving us without a highly touted pass catching Tight End next year.  Fisk is a good blocking TE.  Harrington has some skills. Archer could be good, but we had recruited highly touted pass catching TEs Schultz, Smith, Parkinson back to back. Where is the next one?

[donkey687]

Two questions that i have are:

1) What makes Parkinson a Tight End? His size? He rarely lines up next to the Tackle. He is usually in the slot or split wide.

2) Given Stanford's use of the tight end, why haven't we recruited more of them? Parkinson will likely go pro leaving us without a highly touted pass catching Tight End next year.  Fisk is a good blocking TE.  Harrington has some skills. Archer could be good, but we had recruited highly touted pass catching TEs Schultz, Smith, Parkinson back to back. Where is the next one?

[Hank 91]

Two questions that i have are:

1) What makes Parkinson a Tight End? His size? He rarely lines up next to the Tackle. He is usually in the slot or split wide.

2) Given Stanford's use of the tight end, why haven't we recruited more of them? Parkinson will likely go pro leaving us without a highly touted pass catching Tight End next year.  Fisk is a good blocking TE.  Harrington has some skills. Archer could be good, but we had recruited highly touted pass catching TEs Schultz, Smith, Parkinson back to back. Where is the next one?

My first reaction is to guess that is something to do with the recruiting pool. There's always been a concern about a particular year in which there aren't any elite offensive linemen or quarterbacks or defensive linemen who meet Stanford's academic criteria. Considering the scarcity of tight ends in modern football, that's even more likely with that position. That run of Schultz, Smith, and Parkinson was amazing, because we were getting the #1- or #2-ranked player at the position each year. Every once in a while, it seems, there are no tight ends to be had. Really, it should be the easiest position on the field for Stanford to recruit, but sometimes there are droughts. Remember, after Zach Ertz left for the 2013 draft, there were essentially no tight ends on the roster in 2013, but then Austin Hooper arrived and caught 40 balls in 2014. It seems we're headed for a similar issue in 2020, but I'm sure the tight ends will return.

[Hank 91]

Two questions that i have are:

1) What makes Parkinson a Tight End? His size? He rarely lines up next to the Tackle. He is usually in the slot or split wide.

2) Given Stanford's use of the tight end, why haven't we recruited more of them? Parkinson will likely go pro leaving us without a highly touted pass catching Tight End next year.  Fisk is a good blocking TE.  Harrington has some skills. Archer could be good, but we had recruited highly touted pass catching TEs Schultz, Smith, Parkinson back to back. Where is the next one?

My first reaction is to guess that is something to do with the recruiting pool. There's always been a concern about a particular year in which there aren't any elite offensive linemen or quarterbacks or defensive linemen who meet Stanford's academic criteria. Considering the scarcity of tight ends in modern football, that's even more likely with that position. That run of Schultz, Smith, and Parkinson was amazing, because we were getting the #1- or #2-ranked player at the position each year. Every once in a while, it seems, there are no tight ends to be had. Really, it should be the easiest position on the field for Stanford to recruit, but sometimes there are droughts. Remember, after Zach Ertz left for the 2013 draft, there were essentially no tight ends on the roster in 2013, but then Austin Hooper arrived and caught 40 balls in 2014. It seems we're headed for a similar issue in 2020, but I'm sure the tight ends will return.