Looking at Pennsylvania’s Top 2023 Tight Ends

In our 2023 positional previews, we move on to the tight ends where Pennsylvania has developed a great deal of talent over the last few cycles. That trend continues in 2023, let’s take a look at the top five tight ends. <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="97607" first="Joey" last="Schlaffer"] (Exeter)</strong> The Penn State commitment is our top tight end in the class of 2023. Exeter’s top target, Schlaffer finished the 2021 season with 48 receptions for 834 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s the definition of a game-changing tight end at the high school level and he has a great chance to be that type of player at the next level as well. <strong>Projection: </strong>Power Five <strong>HUDL: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12835933/62067671e985160bc84b0120">Junior Year</a> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="140949" first="Markus" last="Dixon"] (Archibshop Wood) </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">When watching Marcus Dixon on the field, it’s hard to a degree not to be reminded of Kyle Pitts. Dixon is a bit semi-similarly at 6-foot-5 and 230-pounds. To compare, Pitts as a senior in high school was 6-foot-5 and 235-pounds. While he’s not the total freak athlete that Pitts is, Dixon is still a tremendous athlete and uses his size to his advantage. He doesn’t have great speed but has enough to break away from most linebackers and can make it interesting in the open field with defensive backs.</span> <strong>Projection: </strong>Power Five <strong>HUDL: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13763288/6188379ea680d70b84322bfb">[player_tooltip player_id="140949" first="Markus" last="Dixon"] Junior Season Highlight</a> <strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id="92676" first="Peyton" last="Faulkner"] (Avonworth)</strong> The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Faulkner is a do-it-all type player for Avonworth, lining up at wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, and defensive end. However, it’s the tight end position where his future is and where he will have the greatest impact at the next level. Faulkner has a combination of quality speed and a long stride not to mention being a generally tough runner whose hard to bring down. When it comes to his receiving, he shows the ability to make catches in coverage and tracks the ball well. His blocking skills look good enough and will improve at the next level but his biggest asset will always be his receiving abilities. <strong>Projection: </strong>Group of Five <strong>HUDL: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13074910/619dcdc7b01a6c03c0cc6b7c">Jr. Season Highlight</a> <strong>4. [player_tooltip player_id="93051" first="Lucas" last="Lambert"] (Seneca Valley)</strong> The Seneca Valley tight isn’t the biggest of tight ends but he is a heck of a receiver and athlete. Lambert has a tremendous burst after the catch that allows him to hit open holes and get into open field. He shows great athleticism for a tight end, allowing him to make quick cuts and change his direction making himself quite evasive. The biggest knock against him will be his height at just 6-foot-2 but he makes up for it with his receiving abilities and athleticism. We believe he could be a very good FCS level tight end. <strong>Projection: </strong>FCS <strong>HUDL: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13208020/618a6195066b9f08aceb2643">Regular Season Highlights</a> <strong>5. [player_tooltip player_id="92390" first="Landon" last="Hufford"] (Northwest Area)</strong> Our final tight end on the list is Northwest Area’s [player_tooltip player_id="92390" first="Landon" last="Hufford"]. Hufford played a little bit of everything for Northwest Area. We have him listed as a tight end right now but wide receiver is also a potential landing spot for him at the next level. At 6-foot-0 and 170-pounds, Hufford has a nice burst and is a strong downhill runner, allowing him to barrel through would-be tacklers. Overall, Hufford is a quality receiving target who I’ll be keeping a close eye on this offseason and heading into next season to see if he can continue to take those next steps. <strong>Projection: </strong>FCS <strong> HUDL: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12870352/61d0e2d9c11b3c088032d387">Junior Season</a>