Spring Practice 2018 Position Battle: Tight End
/
Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)
Indiana head coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike DeBord will have their hands full in trying to replace the production from former tight end Ian Thomas. As alluded to in our positional preview, Thomas will graduate in May and pursue an NFL career. Analysts project him to be selected anywhere between the third and fifth round of the NFL Draft in April. Ian Thomas’ size and athleticism make him an intriguing pro prospect, as well as a difficult player for Indiana to replace.
After seeing former IU tight end Danny Friend catch just seven passes during Kevin Wilson’s final year as coach, Hoosier football fans rejoiced upon learning Mike DeBord took more advantage of the position in the passing game. The results spoke for themselves as Thomas compiled 25 catches for 276 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, former walk-on Ryan Wattercutter added 12 catches for 69 yards. Indiana will continue to utilize their tight ends in the passing game and especially in the red zone. Wattercutter will return to IU as a redshirt senior this season. He will be joined by redshirt sophomore Shaun Bonner, redshirt junior Austin Dorris, and redhirt freshman Peyton Hendershot. Which Hoosier tight end will step and deliver in 2018?
1. RYAN WATERCUTTER
Ryan Watercutter, a Fort Wayne, IN native, joined Indiana as a walk-on. He made the switch from linebacker to tight end where he ultimately earned himself a scholarship in dramatic fashion. Some brilliant theatrics by Tom Allen and a heartwarming moment that followed summed up what Watercutter means to this team. Watercutter earned his scholarship after demonstrating a remarkable playmaking ability in practice and doing everything he could to help the team while fighting through a shoulder injury. “He worked so hard.” Coach Allen explained, “He did everything we asked him to do.” Watercutter was named offensive scout team player of the year by the coaching staff in 2016, and was named backup tight end last season.
Not slight of build, Watercutter stands at 6-foot-2, 230lbs. Although he doesn’t have the height of Ian Thomas, Watercutter is a very impressive athlete. His 12 catches for 69 yards last season were a promising sign he’ll be able to step into a more prominent role on offense. As Ryan Watercutter enters his redshirt senior year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him starting at tight end to begin the season. The starting job is open to competition, and spring ball will tell Allen and DeBord everything they need to know. There is no clear-cut number one, and it’s possible Indiana will see contributions at tight end from several individuals.
2. PEYTON HENDERSHOT
Peyton Hendershot is perhaps one of the more intriguing young pieces on Indiana’s offense. Hendershot, the redshirt freshman, is an outstanding athlete standing at an impressive 6-foot-4, 240lbs. His size and experience from his redshirt season make him a plausible option to see major time in Indiana’s 2018 offense. Hendershot was a highly touted recruit from Tri-West High School. He was rated the 10th best prospect in the state of Indiana and the 19th best tight end in the country, per 247Sports.
Hendershot finished his high school football career with 2,170 yards receiving and 22 touchdowns. He also posted 30 tackles and four sacks as a defensive end. On top of all that? Hendershot was a three-year letter winner in basketball, averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. Peyton Hendershot is the very definition of versatile. He is the prototype for how Tom Allen plans to recruit the tight end position moving forward. Size, speed, and versatility. Hendershot missed most of last season with an injury, so this is a very important offseason for the young tight end. An eye-opening performance during spring ball could leave Hendershot with a decent shot at the starting tight end job. He may be too young to take the number one spot, but Hoosier fans should look for Hendershot to contribute to the offense in some capacity.
3. SHAUN BONNER
Shaun Bonner, a redshirt sophomore from Colquitt County High School in Georgia, has been easing his way into Big Ten football. At 6-foot-3, 250lbs, Bonner saw most of his game action in 2017 on special teams. He was named scout team player of the week in October. With his size and brute strength, Bonner could be very useful in multiple-tight end formations and red zone packages. He demonstrated his catching ability in last year’s spring game, but for now, it appears he will be able to make the biggest impact as a blocking tight end. His performance during spring camp will determine whether he will be utilized in the passing game or saved primarily for heavy-set running formations.
4. AUSTIN DORRIS
Austin Dorris is an interesting player to examine primarily because we haven’t seen much of his playmaking abilities. He will enter the season as a redshirt junior standing at 6-foot-5, 255lbs. Dorris has the size of Thomas, although he does not possess similar athleticism. During the past two seasons, Dorris has seen almost all his game action on special teams. With a similar build to Shaun Bonner, Dorris could be very beneficial in multiple-tight end sets or goal line situations. As with all prospects, Tom Allen and Mike DeBord will get to see whether Dorris’ contributions will extend beyond special teams.
The Hoosiers have two impressive athletes in Watercutter and Hendershot. They have two big bodies in Bonner and Dorris. Indiana also has some promising recruits in TJ Ivy and Matt Bjorson coming to Bloomington as true freshmen. While there is no shortage of questions regarding the tight end position for Indiana in 2018, there is certainly no shortage of options.
Fans of Hoosier Huddle can help support the site by shopping on Amazon using the ad below at no cost to the shopper. Thank you for your support.