Behind the Rankings: 2023 Tight Ends

<p style="font-size:15px">With the 2023 high school football season getting closer to kickoff, our initial rankings for the class of 2023 have been officially published for the state of Kentucky. Over the next couple weeks, I will go into detail on how the rankings at each position came to be. So far, I have covered quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. I will now turn my attention to the tight end position to wrap up the offensive skill players for the upcoming senior class. This position group had quite a few players that are difference makers for their teams but these are the 2023 tight ends that stood out to me the most in the state of Kentucky.</p>   <h2 style="font-size:17px">1. [player_tooltip player_id='385960' first='Thomas' last='Howard']| 6'3", 215 lbs.| Frederick Douglass High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12984006/618803e119b0010bd0be92e6">Junior Year Film</a></h2>   <p style="font-size:15px">While Howard might be better known as one of the top baseball players in the state of Kentucky, he is also a top level football prospect. He is a big body tight end that plays a key role in the Broncos' offensive attack. The first thing that stood out to me with Howard is that he is a very good blocker. He can line up as a true tight end and create movement off the line of scrimmage or he can be used in motion as a lead blocker in space. Howard is very physical as a blocker, getting a strong initial punch and driving his feet on contact until the whistle is blown. He is also dangerous as a receiving threat, showing strong hands and the ability to use his frame to wall off defenders to catch contested passes in the end zone. Howard has also shown the speed to turn up the field after the catch to pick up extra yards. While he is committed to play baseball at Louisville, Howard could very easily be a Power 5 tight end if he wanted to as he holds a football offer from Kentucky.</p>   <h2 style="font-size:17px">2. [player_tooltip player_id='385963' first='Grant' last='Scott']| 6'4", 235 lbs.| Pikeville High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8519988/61bfe11fb019360bac72ad1a">Junior Year Film</a></h2>   <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='385963' first='Grant' last='Scott'] played a key role in Pikeville's State Championship run last season. He is an extremely physical blocker that is often used in motion as a lead blocker and punishes any defender that is in his path. Scott is also a very talented pass catcher. He was often used on screen passes and showed the ability to pick up yards after the catch. When he has the ball in his hands, Scott has the strength to run straight through defenders but also has the speed to run away from a defense to pick up extra yards. I also love the versatility that Scott provides as he has seen snaps all across the formation on offense, including as a true tight end at the end of the line of scrimmage, in an H-Back/Wing type of role off the line, and in the slot as a receiver. Grant doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect them to come soon as he has received a ton of college interest and has the skill set to be an impact player at the next level.</p>   <h2 style="font-size:17px">3. [player_tooltip player_id='290609' first='Ben' last='Hayes']| 6'3", 220 lbs.| Butler Traditional High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12598510/61866301b018f50370d73da8">Junior Year Film</a></h2>   <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='290609' first='Ben' last='Hayes'] is a player that jumped onto my radar early in my evaluations this off-season. He has been a key piece of the Butler offense as he has earned First Team All-District honors for two straight seasons. While he has a bigger frame to put him at an advantage as a receiving threat, he also has superb athleticism. Hayes has shown on many different occasions that he has the ability to go up and win contested jump balls, especially when targeted in the end zone. After the catch, he is a very strong runner that is very hard to bring down. Hayes also plays with a very high motor, most notably as a blocker. He does a great job of keeping his feet churning on first contact and finishing through the whistle. Ben currently holds offers from UT Martin and Thomas More (Division II), while also holding a PWO offer from Louisville, and I expect more offers to come as he is the complete package that coaches will be looking for in a college tight end.</p>   <h2 style="font-size:17px">4. [player_tooltip player_id='339736' first='Bryce' last='Hoskins']| 6'6", 250 lbs.| Breathitt County High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13092636/61e6549a02b16809c42b7d0f">Junior Year Film</a></h2>   <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='339736' first='Bryce' last='Hoskins'] is another tight end that stood out in my early evaluations. He is coming off an impressive junior season in which he received All-District recognition. The first thing that stood out to me with Hoskins, is that he can flat out move for a player of his stature! He was used on screen passes on many different occasions and showed the ability to turn a quick play into a big gain at any given moment. Hoskins is a very strong runner after the catch as he can simply run through defenders without breaking stride. I also like him a lot as a blocker as he is used most effectively from the H-Back position off the line of scrimmage as a lead blocker. He also showed the ability to run routes out of the slot when asked to. Hoskins doesn't currently hold any offers but they should come soon as he has received some college interest and definitely has what it takes to play tight end at the next level. </p>   <h2 style="font-size:17px">5. [player_tooltip player_id='340044' first='Cole' last='Burch']| 6'3", 220 lbs.| Daviess County High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10064079/6198a8ead2263c075048cce9">Junior Year Film</a></h2>   <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='340044' first='Cole' last='Burch'] is coming off a solid junior year for Daviess County in which he finished the season averaging ten yards per catch and scored four touchdowns. He is a versatile tight end that was used on the line of scrimmage as a true tight end, in a flex/H-Back position, and out wide at receiver. Burch is a strong, physical blocker who does a great job of getting inside position with his hands and driving his man down the field. As a receiving threat, Burch has the speed to pose as a true deep threat and displays tremendous hands along with an impressive catch radius when the ball is thrown his way. After the catch, he is a very strong runner, showing the ability to break tackles and keep his legs churning to pick up extra yards after contact. Burch currently holds offers from Kentucky Wesleyan (Division II) and Taylor University (NAIA), and I expect more to come as he has the ability to be a solid contributor at the next level. </p>   <h2 style="font-size:15px">Best of the Rest (Players included in Top 150):</h2>   <p style="font-size:15px"><strong>6. [player_tooltip player_id='385962' first='Desmond' last='Davie']</strong>| 6'6", 215 lbs.| Campbell County High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13029996/618dd0c42ab1870a48cb240f">Junior Year Film</a></p>   <p style="font-size:15px"><strong>7. [player_tooltip player_id='287563' first='Josh' last='Thornton']</strong>| 6'3", 240 lbs.| Boyd County High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13146573/61800b483453160178a0448f">Junior Year Film</a></p>   <p style="font-size:15px"><strong>8. [player_tooltip player_id='385961' first='Travis' last='Grant']</strong>| 6'3", 200 lbs.| Madison Central High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13276234/61e8cde5bd6ab20bc4dc87c3">Junior Year Film</a></p>

With the 2023 high school football season getting closer to kickoff, our initial rankings for the class of 2023 have been officially published for the state of Kentucky. Over the next couple weeks, I will go into detail on how the rankings at each position came to be. So far, I have covered quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. I will now turn my attention to the tight end position to wrap up the offensive skill players for the upcoming senior class. This position group had quite a few players that are difference makers for their teams but these are the 2023 tight ends that stood out to me the most in the state of Kentucky.