When evaluating a head coach's praise during spring practice, you have to look at the track record of that coach.
Last season at Oregon, Will Stein helped develop tight end Kenyon Sadiq into an absolute monster. Sadiq racked up 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, and he is currently projected as a first-round pick in upcoming mock drafts. Stein knows exactly what a Sunday-level tight end looks like because he just finished building one. And he believes he has one with Kentucky football in Willie Rodriguez.
The new Kentucky head coach guarantees that he has multiple NFL tight ends sitting in his meeting room; Big Blue Nation needs to pay close attention.
If there is a position that Kentucky football fans love, it is the tight end. And they have been begging for an offense that actually utilizes it. Based on Stein's recent evaluations, that wait is officially over.
The "no doubt" focal point
If you want to know who is going to be the engine of the Kentucky passing game this fall, Stein just gave you the definitive answer.
When discussing the offensive weapons making waves in spring practice, the head coach did not hold back his evaluation of Willie Rodriguez. It is the highest praise any player on the roster has received thus far.
"Willie Rodriguez is a fantastic player. This guy can play ball," Stein declared. "He is definitely one of our go-to guys. I mean, if we're not feeding him the rock daily, shame on us. That guy is an NFL player, no doubt. And I've been around some really good tight ends, especially recently. That guy can play."
The coaching staff is making it explicitly clear: the offense is going to run through Rodriguez. He isn't just an inline blocker who will occasionally slip out for a play-action pass; he is a primary, high-volume weapon.
For his part, Rodriguez flashed last season, catching 23 passes for 310 yards and 1 TD. He developed a great chemistry with Cutter Boley, and there was a real fear he could transfer once Boley moved on.
But, thankfully he decided to stay and now he will be a key part of the Kentucky offense.
Building a terrifying positional mismatch
The most dangerous part of Kentucky's tight end room is that Rodriguez isn't the only Sunday-bound talent in the building.
Stein is equally ecstatic about Henry Boyer, a massive, traditional "Y" tight end. Stein confidently stated that Boyer is also "going to play in the NFL," highlighting his size, weight, and the intangibles he brings to the line of scrimmage while proving he can catch the football at a high level.
You need guys willing to do the dirty work of blocking, so that others can catch the passes. Boyer will gladly line up and smash people.
But the ultimate wildcard of the group is Mikkel Skinner.
While Rodriguez and Boyer are securing the middle of the field, Skinner is being utilized as a massive mismatch on the boundary. "He made some big plays today on the perimeter," Stein noted about Skinner. "When that dude knows what he's doing, he's a problem. He's a big problem."
Maybe Vince Marrow left Kentucky his greatest gift, a tight end they can actually throw the ball to.
With Justin Burke leading the positional group now, the Wildcats have quietly assembled a versatile and dangerous tight end room. Will Stein built a first-round pick last season, and he is absolutely going to build this Kentucky offense around his newest stable of NFL talent now.
Feed the studs.