Is this the year Kentucky finally throws it to the tight ends?

It’s a question asked every year by fans on Kentucky Sports Radio. Is this the year we finally throw it to the tight ends?

For a decade, Kentucky had some of the most productive tight ends in all of college football. James Whalen was an All-American in the late 90s. Derek Smith was Jared Lorenzen’s reliable target in the middle of the field. Jacob Tamme often lined up in the slot, creating mismatches to carve up opposing defenses.

That extra weapon in the passing attack was replaced by players who primarily served to open up lanes for the Kentucky rushing attack. CJ Conrad caught a dozen touchdown passes over his four-year career, but never had more than 30 receptions in a season. There is reason to believe that at least one tight end could fill a void in the 2025 Kentucky passing attack.

Willie Rodriguez Can Create Mismatches

Kentucky spent all preseason searching for a wide receiver who will step up and be the guy. What if it doesn’t have to be a wide receiver?

“Who is Patrick Mahomes’ go-to guy? It’s a tight end,” Van Hiles said on the KSR Football Podcast.

“Willie Rodriguez is your go-to guy. He is going to create the most mismatches out of anybody else in that room, in the wide receiver room or the tight end room. He’s going to be on a linebacker or the strong safety.

“If they utilize him right, in my opinion from a defensive standpoint, if you bring him in there with Josh Kattus, are they going to go base personnel, or are they going to go nickel? If you go nickel, you run at the nickelback. If you go base personnel, you got Willie Rodriguez on a linebacker or strong safety. I think that’s the key to the season, if they can use him as an H-back and motion. If he can block at all, that can pose some problems for defenses.”

Kentucky has had some big bodies in the tight end room, where the Wildcats have frequently played two at a time in 12 personnel. Rodriguez is the first player they’ve had in a while who can beat defenders while running routes.

“This is the first pass-catching tight end where I feel comfortable that he can go one-on-one in an option route or find green grass and be able to beat opponents’ defensive coverage. I don’t think we’ve had that in recent history,” Van said. “I think CJ Conrad was the closest guy to that, and I don’t think CJ would say he was a world-beater as far as getting open in one-on-one, man-to-man. I think you got a guy who can do that and that’s going to be the advantage this season. With Bush having seen him last year, I think he can devise some things to get him open.”

That was just one man’s opinion, but when you ask Bush Hamdan about Rodriguez, he shares a similar sentiment.

“I think Willie’s got that rare ability to stretch the field, and also show that physicality. It’s matchups, linebackers, sometimes safeties,” the offensive coordinator said this week. “Those tight ends can create a mismatch, and we know what we gotta get done with that group.”

The opportunity is there. Time will tell if this is finally the year Kentucky frequently throws the ball to its tight ends.