Indiana University Athletics
Tight Ends Looking to Make Strides in Spring Practice
3/30/2016 5:37:00 PM | Football
By: Tori Ziege, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tight ends coach James Patton had a challenge for his group to begin Indiana's seventh spring ball practice: Be different.
Today is not just another practice. What are you going to do to develop?
"Be better at something," Patton said. "Be better at your footwork, be better at your leverage, be better at timing, route-running. That's what spring ball is for."
There's no question that this year, the tight ends will need to develop. Inexperienced players — at least in terms of time on the field — will have to step into new roles, and that will involve betterment.
Last season, the unit banded together. Dubbing themselves the "TE Bros," they saw a 240 percent production increase in receptions and a 300 percent increase in scoring from 2014 to 2015. But they also graduated their leading receivers in Michael Cooper, 17 receptions, and Anthony Corsaro, 10 receptions, accounting for nearly 80 percent of haul-ins last fall.
Does mean the end of the TE Bros?
Not if juniors Danny Friend and Jordan Fuchs have anything to say about it.
"They still have two years of football left ahead of them," Patton said. "Replacing those couple seniors we had, it's their time to step up."
Friend has been with IU for three seasons, but has been plagued by injuries, one of which left him sidelined in 2014. Another shut him down last season after three receptions through four games. Nonetheless, Patton said he expects Friend to step up in a leadership position, having been around the program so long.
In seven games last season, Fuchs caught four passes with a high return on assets, cashing in half for touchdowns. This year, the junior hopes to raise his stock even higher.
In addition, the TE Bros welcome newcomers Austin Dorris, who redshirted his first season with Indiana, and Ryan Watercutter, a former defensive linebacker who Patton said has been a pleasant surprise this spring.
"It's been good getting them involved more," Friend said.
Head coach Kevin Wilson said he has been asked why his Indiana teams don't utilize the tight end position like Oklahoma did when he was the offensive coordinator. In Norman, Wilson coached top tight end in the nation Jermaine Gresham in 2008. During that season alone, Greshman scored 14 touchdowns.
But Wilson said it's just a matter of personnel. Indiana is loaded with offensive firepower from its backs and receivers, and at 6-foot-6, 230, and 6-foot-5, 260, respectively, Fuchs and Friend have the physiques to dominate the line of scrimmage as edge-blocking tight ends.
Traditionally, IU's tight ends under Wilson have been primary edge blockers — and good ones — on a line that helped to produce three 1,000-yard rushers the past two years and allowed a Big Ten-fewest 13 sacks in 2015.
But that doesn't mean they can't be scorers, either.
To accomplish that, they'll need to develop. They'll need to get better. So far, they're on the right path.
"I'm really happy with (the progress)," Fuchs said. "I'm excited for the season."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tight ends coach James Patton had a challenge for his group to begin Indiana's seventh spring ball practice: Be different.
Today is not just another practice. What are you going to do to develop?
"Be better at something," Patton said. "Be better at your footwork, be better at your leverage, be better at timing, route-running. That's what spring ball is for."
There's no question that this year, the tight ends will need to develop. Inexperienced players — at least in terms of time on the field — will have to step into new roles, and that will involve betterment.
Last season, the unit banded together. Dubbing themselves the "TE Bros," they saw a 240 percent production increase in receptions and a 300 percent increase in scoring from 2014 to 2015. But they also graduated their leading receivers in Michael Cooper, 17 receptions, and Anthony Corsaro, 10 receptions, accounting for nearly 80 percent of haul-ins last fall.
Does mean the end of the TE Bros?
Not if juniors Danny Friend and Jordan Fuchs have anything to say about it.
"They still have two years of football left ahead of them," Patton said. "Replacing those couple seniors we had, it's their time to step up."
Friend has been with IU for three seasons, but has been plagued by injuries, one of which left him sidelined in 2014. Another shut him down last season after three receptions through four games. Nonetheless, Patton said he expects Friend to step up in a leadership position, having been around the program so long.
In seven games last season, Fuchs caught four passes with a high return on assets, cashing in half for touchdowns. This year, the junior hopes to raise his stock even higher.
In addition, the TE Bros welcome newcomers Austin Dorris, who redshirted his first season with Indiana, and Ryan Watercutter, a former defensive linebacker who Patton said has been a pleasant surprise this spring.
"It's been good getting them involved more," Friend said.
Head coach Kevin Wilson said he has been asked why his Indiana teams don't utilize the tight end position like Oklahoma did when he was the offensive coordinator. In Norman, Wilson coached top tight end in the nation Jermaine Gresham in 2008. During that season alone, Greshman scored 14 touchdowns.
But Wilson said it's just a matter of personnel. Indiana is loaded with offensive firepower from its backs and receivers, and at 6-foot-6, 230, and 6-foot-5, 260, respectively, Fuchs and Friend have the physiques to dominate the line of scrimmage as edge-blocking tight ends.
Traditionally, IU's tight ends under Wilson have been primary edge blockers — and good ones — on a line that helped to produce three 1,000-yard rushers the past two years and allowed a Big Ten-fewest 13 sacks in 2015.
But that doesn't mean they can't be scorers, either.
To accomplish that, they'll need to develop. They'll need to get better. So far, they're on the right path.
"I'm really happy with (the progress)," Fuchs said. "I'm excited for the season."
Players Mentioned
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