Uf wing zone8/7/2023 ![]() Taylor scored a TD in the Sugar Bowl and hasn't caught a pass since. 1 and 2 among tight ends by most recruiting services, with Taylor rated 10th overall in Florida and Thompson fifth in Pennsylvania by Rivals. Behind the two-deep (Burton and Westbrook) are two of the prizes of the 2012 recruiting class, four-stars Kent Taylor and Thompson. "We're blessed with a guy who can do everything," Fisher said. O'Leary, at 6-foot-3 and 248, is adept at both. Some teams have tight ends who are primarily blockers and tight ends who are the better receivers. "Blocking, third-down catches and going vertical down the field." ![]() "Tight ends and fullbacks are those hidden gems, and you don't realize how huge their role is," said FSU coach Jimbo Fisher. O'Leary has been the security blanket for quarterback Jameis Winston and a big reason why the Seminoles are second in the nation in red-zone offense. "I've had a good year, but there are things I can be doing better," he said. He seeks out contact - and doesn't rest on the past. O'Leary is old-school at the age of 21, disdaining logo gloves, wrist bands and those thin straps players wear on their upper arms. He's polite but prefers one-word answers. While O'Leary's grandfather was one of the most media-friendly athletes in history, he freely admits the media obligations aren't his favorite way to spend time. He's a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award as the best tight end in the nation. O'Leary is second in the NCAA for touchdowns by a tight end and reception average, set the FSU career TD reception record earlier this season by tight ends, and against Clemson set school records for the longest reception by a tight end (94 yards) and yards in one game (161). O'Leary is fourth on the team in receptions (27) behind the lethal three-headed wide receiver group of Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin, and has produced 457 yards, a 16.9 per-catch average and seven touchdowns. Since the media is barred from Florida practices, no one else has an answer either.Īt FSU, there are no such productivity problems, at least for the starter. Yeah, but they haven't: and Pease doesn't offer an explanation as to why. I've always been very positive in the fact that tight ends are a huge part, blocking as well as route running." "In my experience going back to Boise State, you've got receivers that are demanding coverage and matchups on the outside so it opens up the middle for you, the slot or tight end. "You can go back and look and see what Jordan meant to us last year, especially having throws in the middle, how it helps the outside guys," Pease said on Tuesday. With the exception of quarterback, the biggest disparity between the two teams at one position group could well be at tight end - and no one is more befuddled than Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease. Only one other tight end, Colin Thompson, has gotten off the bench and appeared in only three games. The biggest play of the season for a Florida tight end didn't even count in the statistics: junior Clay Burton's two-point conversion reception against Georgia last month that got UF within field-goal range in the fourth quarter.īurton has eight starts and Westbrook two. That's the extent of production from that position for the games. Junior Tevin Westbrook has two catches for 29 yards. One did last season, as Jordan Reed led the Gators with 45 receptions for 559 yards. In a power running game and with training wheels on inexperienced quarterbacks Tyler Murphy and Skyler Mornhinweg, one would think the tight ends would play a major role. That's because they've been almost invisible this season. A search of various videos of his grandfather winning the 1986 Masters at the age of 46 had combined hits of less than 100,000.Įven less is known about are the tight ends at Florida, the opponent for the second-ranked Seminoles on Saturday at Florida Field in Gainesville (noon, ESPN). The YouTube video of his accident, taken from the dash cam of a nearby bus, has had nearly four million hits. TALLAHASSEE | The tight end at Florida State, Nick O'Leary, is a reluctant star, known off the football field for only two things: being the grandson of World Golf Hall of Fame member and 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, and popping up unscathed from what could have been a horrendous motorcycle accident last spring.
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