Kentucky Football: The Wildcats must utilize Tight End CJ Conrad on offense

CJ Conrad is one of the more dynamic players in the SEC. Kentucky must find a way to utilize him more on the offensive side of the football.

Kentucky Football kicks off fall camp this Sunday. One of the biggest headlines to watch is the offense’s use of tight end, CJ Conrad in 2017.

The kid is an unbelievable blocker and a no doubter future NFL player. At 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 245 pounds, Conrad can pack a punch and hold his own up front. What Kentucky needs to do is incorporate him more often in the offensive game plan.

Too many times last two seasons we sat and watched Conrad line up in the backfield as an H-Back and led the way for Boom Williams and others in the rushing attack. That’s all fine and dandy at times because if you’ve got an athlete like Conrad out there who can do a number of things, you use him. But, what causes so much concern is the inconsistent offensive attack through the air. The passing game has been very poor at times. Part of the problem has been quarterback play and receivers dropping easy passes, but CJ Conrad has stepped up when his number has been called.

CJ Conrad could put Kentucky Football over the edge

In 2016 Conrad caught 19 passes for four touchdowns. He became a big redzone target for the Cats early in the season. At the tight end position in a run heavy offense it’s understandable that Conrad isn’t going to get many looks. But, three of those touchdowns came in one game against New Mexico State. The other score was against Austin Peay. Not exactly what you want from one of the offense’s best players.

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Somehow, Kentucky has to get Conrad more involved. He needs to at least be getting 7-8 targets per game. He can help this receiving core get more confidence and allow them to be more comfortable out on the perimeter. Conrad runs the majority of his routes to the center of the field. If that space is corrupted with defenders, the space outside the hashes is open for the picking. Conrad does so much that goes unseen, it’s about time he gets in the spotlight.