The TE issue

[Zgeo]

What can be done today to fix the TE problem. Stopgner has been disappointing Smith is no Jason Kelce.

Who do we have now that we can put at TE???????? The weakest link on the team. Where is another Mark Andrews ??????



I see we have 8 TE on roster, surely one of them deserves playing time other than Stoegner or Smith…….

[cushcreekmont]

Frosh, injured, just off injury, the two you mentioned walkon walkon - Body count aside, not much available. Unless one of the frosh, sophs get over their injuries AND make big strides, OUr TE next year will be a 17 year old freshman.

[OldTimer]

Frosh, injured, just off injury, the two you mentioned walkon walkon - Body count aside, not much available. Unless one of the frosh, sophs get over their injuries AND make big strides, OUr TE next year will be a 17 year old freshman.

If he indeed signs. If I was a tight end and took a look at targets, I would be looking elsewhere if football was important to me.

[OU Guy]

I think its partially what we are calling. This team is always hard to figure our before the RRR. They are blocking a lot but not getting many passes thrown their way. Could be trying to force run game takes plays away. Or less plays per game due to new clock rule. I think we’ll see more TE use vs tx. What we don’t see or watch is whatcthe TEs are doing when other plays are called - we might be laying film down that shows us running left when the TE is open right. Then at right time we show same look at run left and pass to open TE right.

There is so much that goes on we don’t see. What we think is a problem could be a setup.

We always know after tx game.

[Fly]

I love this form, & the members that respond, & give there opinions. I learn a lot what most bring with there thoughts. But when
we sit back & look at the issues brought up, we must also believe that our coaching staff see the same & much more. I also think
that some of this may be planed & maybe held out to use at another time. Some what like playing poker. Teams have only so much
time to prepare for up coming games. Why show all your cards, on a opponent you can easily beat with a limited plays, but whole on
to your ACE card for say a team as TEXASS! Maybe just Maybe that is why our tight ends have not been utilized?.

Gosh I love these discussions, I maybe all wet, I know, but maybe not?.

Fly

[BixSooner]

When you go back and look at our great offenses when Baker and Kyler were our QB's, you see NFL talent all over the place, whether it's receivers or tight ends. All those pass catchers were playmakers.

We don't have any playmakers at tight end right now. I'd prefer we had a tight end who had made some great plays against Tulsa and Arkansas State, that would force future opponents to have to spend some time figuring out how to stop in their game planning.

If there's any sort of thing we're "saving" for the whorns, I'd think it would involve schemes to get our current WR's the ball in space we haven't shown yet, on top of what already works. I'd like to see our tall receivers more involved at the goal line, for instance.

Like our running game, our tight end play is on the coaches to figure out how to make them productive. For now, I still believe we have some playmaking potential from our RB's, but our tight ends are nothing more than bodies. They are what they are.

[MontOUfan]

Not sure what TE problem means. Is it a problem in that they haven't caught a lot of balls? They don't catch balls that aren't thrown to them. I have rewatched and charted all 4 games and my assessment so far is that Stogner has done a very good job blocking on the perimeter. Between him and Stoops the offense has picked up a lot of extra yards on outside passing plays. His interior blocking hasn't been as good, but when you get him moving (motion, pulling), he is better. He has certainly not missed many more blocks than a couple of our offensive lineman have. He has pretty good hands for the most part, but is not elusive even for a TE. It seems to me that tight end usage and production is mostly a matter of scheme. Tight ends like Jackson and Andrews don't come around very often even for the great programs.

[OU Guy]

Not sure what TE problem means. Is it a problem in that they haven't caught a lot of balls? They don't catch balls that aren't thrown to them. I have rewatched and charted all 4 games and my assessment so far is that Stogner has done a very good job blocking on the perimeter. Between him and Stoops the offense has picked up a lot of extra yards on outside passing plays. His interior blocking hasn't been as good, but when you get him moving (motion, pulling), he is better. He has certainly not missed many more blocks than a couple of our offensive lineman have. He has pretty good hands for the most part, but is not elusive even for a TE. It seems to me that tight end usage and production is mostly a matter of scheme. Tight ends like Jackson and Andrews don't come around very often even for the great programs.

Great post. Thats what I’ve seen, great blocking. And on some plays if the block isn’t made the play would have failed. So its about more than catches its scheme like you said. Stogner is out there quite a bit so his maturity is helpful in the overall gameplan even if not getting passes thrown his way.

[Zgeo]

The “TE Issue” is no production. Willis last year was productive. Stog and Smith have both had drops. And you’re right with their low number of targets any drops are unacceptable. If they are primarily blockers maybe the former Lineman should be in there.

We are used to seeing game winners from the TE . But as i think about it, Andrel, Jayden, and Nick are the sure handed wr that should get more passes NOT THE TE, just convert TE to blocking all the time.

[SoonerTony]

I love this form, & the members that respond, & give there opinions. I learn a lot what most bring with there thoughts. But when
we sit back & look at the issues brought up, we must also believe that our coaching staff see the same & much more. I also think
that some of this may be planed & maybe held out to use at another time. Some what like playing poker. Teams have only so much
time to prepare for up coming games. Why show all your cards, on a opponent you can easily beat with a limited plays, but whole on
to your ACE card for say a team as TEXASS! Maybe just Maybe that is why our tight ends have not been utilized?.

Gosh I love these discussions, I maybe all wet, I know, but maybe not?.

Fly

I agree with Fly. The lack of catches from tight ends is so low, it almost seems by design. I think the coaches are cooking something up for the Cotton Bowl.

[Zgeo]

For success in the RRR just throw to Andrel Anthony, Jayden Gibson, or Nick Anderson they have proven they grab 50/50 balls…..

I dont think our TE are dropping passes to set up Texass,,,,,

[MontOUfan]

Don't want to beat a dead horse, but the only pass that could be considered a drop by one of our TEs was a 5 yd bullet from Arnold to Smith in the Tulsa game.

[OU Guy]

Don't want to beat a dead horse, but the only pass that could be considered a drop by one of our TEs was a 5 yd bullet from Arnold to Smith in the Tulsa game.

Correct. I checked stats and Stogner has had 4 targets and 3 catches. The missed one was not on him it was not catchable. They just haven’t targeted him.

[OU Guy]

Se help is on the way in 24

[OldTimer]

Not sure what TE problem means. Is it a problem in that they haven't caught a lot of balls? They don't catch balls that aren't thrown to them. I have rewatched and charted all 4 games and my assessment so far is that Stogner has done a very good job blocking on the perimeter. Between him and Stoops the offense has picked up a lot of extra yards on outside passing plays. His interior blocking hasn't been as good, but when you get him moving (motion, pulling), he is better. He has certainly not missed many more blocks than a couple of our offensive lineman have. He has pretty good hands for the most part, but is not elusive even for a TE. It seems to me that tight end usage and production is mostly a matter of scheme. Tight ends like Jackson and Andrews don't come around very often even for the great programs.

Great post. Thats what I’ve seen, great blocking. And on some plays if the block isn’t made the play would have failed. So its about more than catches its scheme like you said. Stogner is out there quite a bit so his maturity is helpful in the overall gameplan even if not getting passes thrown his way.

Well, I watched the tight ends also, and o didn’t see all the good blocking by Stogner that some saw. What I saw every time I paid close attention to him was he was blocking air, totally missing his block.