With the Future Stars Game less than two weeks away, it’s time to turn our focus to the tight ends that will make up the Kentucky Future Stars team this year. The tight ends on the youth level are usually the kids that are too slow to play receiver but too small to play on the offensive line. However, in a game like Future Stars, this isn’t the case. Let’s take a look at the 8th grade Kentucky Future Stars tight ends.
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Returning from last year’s 7th grade Kentucky Future Stars team will be Marcus Blakely. Blakely is noticeably bigger and faster this year and is built like a tight end, but with a wide receiver skill set. At the Louisville tryout he ran routes and did all drills with the receivers but with his size and mass, he looked like a natural fit at the tight end position. With Kentucky’s running game looking strong on paper, look for to get a lot of work in run blocking. However, with his size and athletic ability, he should create some mismatches against the shorter Tennessee linebackers in the passing game as well.
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While Blakely seems to be the receiving option at tight end, Connor Groves of Mount Washington, Kentucky looks to be your traditional rough and tumble blocking tight end. In the 6’0, 220-pound range Groves could pass as an offensive guard, but is athletic enough to play as a tight end. While it looks like blocking will be his strength, he is beyond capable to makes plays in the passing game if Kentucky decides to go double tight end in some of their formations.
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Alan Popadines @Youth1Football 5 years ago