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.
marcus_blakey_rt.jpg

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.
connor_groves.jpg

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.
Get Recruited
Youth1’s Recruiting Counselors are on a mission to educate you on the recruiting process - one that's very competitive and starts early. Let us provide guidance through the most important decisions that shape your athlete's journey in sports.
Learn how to become a recruitable student-athlete, find out what colleges you match best with, and get the ability to message college coaches directly with a specialized recruiting package.
Don't wait, schedule a time to speak with a Youth1 Recruiting Counselor. It's FREE!
This article was written and posted by one of our talented contributors. If you think you've got the writing, research and social media skills to join Youth1's freelance team then send a resume and writing sample to [email protected] for consideration.