2012 Louisville Postional Previews – Tight End

One of the positions that Louisville is thin at this year is tight end. With the departure of Josh Chichester, Strong and company were left with a spot to fill on the roster. They look to get Chichester’s production back through Nick Nord, Chris White, Ryan Hubbell, and Hunter Bowles.

Senior, Nate Nord, looks to be the starter though. At 6-5 245 pounds, Nord is an excellent blocker in the run game. His size and speed make him a threat every time he is on the field. This is his first season in which he is truly healthy. He has had to sit out parts of both his sophomore and junior year. At one point, he even contemplated quitting football and moving on. But his persistence and gritty attitude has him on top of the depth chart today.

Second on the chart, is JUCO transfer Ryan Hubbell. He was brought to Louisville to hopefully bolster a tight end core, and he has done just that. He was ranked 3rd among JUCO tight end prospects last season. At 6-5 231 pounds, he is a bit lanky which could prove to be a problem when it comes to blocking. But with his swift feet and soft hands over the middle, he could be vital in the passing game.

Chris White, a redshirt junior, made a big impact down the stretch last year. Over the last four games, he caught five passes for 73 yards. Yet, despite his good numbers in the final games last year, he failed to see much of the field in last years Belk Bowl.

True freshman Hunter Bowles comes on from Glasgow high school. He is easily the biggest tight end on the roster at 6-6 261 pounds. It is said that he is a good blocking tight end and runs a 4.8, 40-yard dash. With that kind of size and athleticism, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pushing for some playing time this fall.

Yet, by far our best tight end will not be able to play this season. Florida transfer Gerald Christian, was ranked the 2nd best tight end coming out of high school. He transferred from Florida after being unhappy with the amount of playtime that Will Muschamp was giving him.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding tight end going into the season, it should be a fun position to watch. You never know, maybe one of them will be a star this season.