By Tom Sullivan

This week Otto’s Army continues its position-by-position preview by taking an in-depth look at the tight ends as we head into fall camp in just over a month.

Talk about getting strapped with a tough assignment for the Football Friday series. For all the greats that have come through the Syracuse football program, just one has been a tight end – John Mackey – and that was back in the early 1960s. It’s a position that just hasn’t been a focal point at any time in the program’s history. Seriously, name another great tight end the program has produced. Now feel the pain I’m going through as I try to analyze the position.

Since 2001, the entire tight end receiving corps has averaged just 23 receptions and just over 255 yards a season. In only 2 seasons during that span has the tight end position produced more than 2 touchdowns – 2006 and 2008 with 4 and 3, respectively. Just for a point of comparison, from his receiver spot Mike Williams had 49 catches, 746 yards and 6 touchdowns in just seven games last year.

Oddly enough, Doug Marrone’s offense featured a number of two tight end sets last year. The problem is that the offense is set up to get the ball quickly to its playmakers (receivers) on the outside or stretch defenses down the field. The underneath throws were rarely made last year and part of that has to do with the fact that the tight ends were often kept in to protect Greg Paulus.

Will that change this year? With Marrone now taking the full reins on the offensive front we’re sure to see some changes but overall the system will generally look and feel the same. The good news for Marrone is that he returns a couple upperclassmen at the position. The bad is that both have questions surrounding their health.

With constant shuffling within the program that’s happened since the day Marrone was hired its worth taking a look at who’s coming, going and staying for SU at tight end:

Who were they?

It’s safe to say none Greg Paulus’ favorite targets over the course of the 2009 season lined up at the tight end position. Only three players at the position caught passes during the season, combining for a paltry 29 receptions, 252 yards and 2 touchdowns:

Cody Catalina – The redshirt sophomore (who was recruited as a quarterback) moved to tight end upon Doug Marrone’s hiring prior to the start of spring practice in 2009. He led all SU tight ends in receptions and yards and had one of the two touchdown grabs at the position last fall. Unfortunately, Catalina went down with a season-ending knee injury in early November at Pittsburgh.

Mike Owen – After finishing the 2008 season strong, Owen entered 2009 as the clear cut #1 tight end on the roster. His strong play didn’t carry over and by all accounts the senior from Long Island’s final year of eligibility was a disappointment. He proved unrealiable over the middle and was actually passed by Cody Catalina on the depth chart at points during the season. He ended the 2009 campaign with just 12 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Nick Provo – The southeastern Florida product injured his knee homecoming weekend against South Florida and didn’t return for the rest of the season. He saw time during each of the 4 games prior to the injury, but only reeled in 4 catches.

Who are they?

Well the good news is that two of the three tight ends who caught passes last year return for the 2010 campaign. The bad news? Both suffered season ending knee injuries in 2009. With the underachieving Mike Owen having moved on, Provo returned in time for the spring game and is listed as the #1 TE on the depth chart heading into fall camp. The senior has ideal size for the position (6’4″, 241 lbs) but lacks the experience you’d like to have in your top returning tight end.

Catalina is listed as injured on the post spring depth chart after sitting out all spring. At the very least, he took advantage early in the 2009 season when he had the opportunity and contributed more than any other tight end from a production standpoint. If he can prove he’s healthy Catalina will have a good chance to take back his starting spot in the fall.

The rest of the depth chart at TE is even less proven than the WR position for the Orange. Behind Provo is Jose Cruz, a senior transfer who enrolled in the spring along with Aaron Weaver after Hofstra cut its I-AA football program. That in itself sums up the depth at the position. Cruz immediately jumped ahead of walk-on junior Tommy Trendowski, the local boy from Westhill High in Syracuse, and fellow junior David Stevens who is actually listed as a linebacker on the depth chart and has seen no action in his first two years in the program.

Who’s next?

Not unlike the WR and QB positions, the 2010 Syracuse football team has serious talent and depth concerns at the tight end position. With only two players on the post spring roster who have ever stepped foot on the field at the Division 1 level, there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for the freshmen class tight ends to establish themselves early.  Coach Marrone signed two in February:

Charlie Copa – Austin, TX (6’6″, 245 lbs.): The big Texan didnt have any other offers outside of the Air Force, but his size surely got Marrone’s attention.

Beckett Wales – Venice, FL (6’3″, 210 lbs.): Let’s just go ahead and coin this kid “The Outlaw Beckett Wales” now. He’s going to have to spend a year in the weight room before he can be considered a serious threat on the field, but he had offers from Duke, Indiana and, more importantly, Iowa. Kirk Ferentz is one of the best evaluators of talent in the country so the Iowa offer means there was a reason Marrone liked the kid.

What to expect

Regardless of whether or not Copa and Wales are ready to take the field, the lack of depth and talent at TE may force one or both into action during their freshman campaigns. Like it has so often in the past at Syracuse, the position seems like it faces another year of uncertainty and marginal production. The group isn’t deep, its veterans are recovering from injuries and Doug Marrone’s offense isn’t exactly the most tight end friendly system in the country.

One thing’s certain – whoever ends up lining up at tight end for the Orange this fall is going to spend a lot of time blocking. As OA will chronicle next week, the offensive line has the same holes it seems to every fall and with an inexperienced quarterback set to start you can be sure Marrone will try to run the football early and often.

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Follow along in the Otto’s Army Football Friday series.  Here is what we already wrote about and the upcoming schedule: