2013 NCAA Football Picks: Top 5 Tight Ends – Austin Seferian-Jenkins Top TE

2013 NCAA Football Picks: Top 5 Tight Ends – Austin Seferian-Jenkins Top TE: Football is a copy-cat game, and one of the latest trends is the use of multiple tight ends, especially fast, athletic tight ends that can create matchup problems for opposing defenses. As a result of the increased usage and importance, better and better young players are gravitating toward the position. Not to mention the fact that coaches are often taking athletic players from other positions and converting them to tight ends. Not surprisingly, the quality and depth at the tight end position at the collegiate level are both solid these days. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the top tight ends in the country heading into the 2013 college football season.

1.      Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington Huskies

Last year, his 69 catches were tied for the most by any tight end in the country, and his 850 receiving yards were the second most by any player at the position. Throw in his seven touchdowns, and it is easy to see why Seferian-Jenkins was a finalist for the Mackey Award. He has almost-unfair agility for a player his size, and he is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses because of his height and strength. There really isn’t another tight end that can match his skill set, and assuming an offseason DUI arrest doesn’t result in a prolonged suspension of any kind, there likely won’t be any that match his numbers either.

2.      Chris Coyle, Arizona State Sun Devils

While he doesn’t have the massive frame of some of the other top tight ends in the country, Coyle is a sure-handed pass-catcher that knows how to run routes and has the speed to get behind linebackers. In fact, he caught a team-high 57 passes last year, and the total was actually the third-most of any tight end in the country. Coyle’s 696 receiving yards were also good enough to put him among the top five players at his position nationally. By the way, last year was his first as a starter for the Sun Devils so he should only improve in 2013.

3.      Eric Ebron, North Carolina Tar Heels

At 6’4” with speed to spare, Ebron’s physical tools were already on a rare level for a tight end. Last year, he started to put it all together, finishing with 40 catches for 625 yards and four scores in his first season as North Carolina’s top tight end. His 625 yards from a year ago are the third-most by any returning player at the position, and with the Tar Heels’ offense likely shifting from a run-first attack to a pass-first attack with the loss of running back Giovani Bernard and the return of quarterback Bryn Renner, Ebron should see his numbers jump even higher with an increased role.

4.      Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin Badgers

With record-setting running back Montee Ball shouldering much of the offensive load, Pedersen was often utilized for his excellent blocking skills rather than his own offensive skills. However, he was still there whenever the Badgers needed a big play in the passing game, finishing the year with 355 yards and four scores. With Ball now in the NFL, Pedersen should get his number called a little more often in his senior season. Career highs in catches and yards are basically a given, and don’t be surprised when Pedersen is regarded as the best all-around player at his position when it comes time for the NFL Draft.

5.      Colt Lyerla, Oregon Ducks

It is tough to argue against Lyerla being the most-athletic tight end in the country. After all, he stands 6’5” and weighs around 250 pounds and would occasionally be used at the running back spot. In fact, he finished last season with 77 yards on 5.9 yards per carry and a score to go along with 392 receiving yards and six scores. The Oregon offense is built around speed, and Lyerla has a freakish amount of it for his size. While the number of weapons in the Ducks’ spread-option arrack could hold his numbers down a bit, he has the physical tools and versatility to wreak havoc on opposing defenses.

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