Will Stein has the Right Weapons to Unlock the Tight End Position

“Is Kentucky finally gonna use its tight ends?” It’s a question that’s been asked every summer by Kentucky football fans since Jacob Tamme left the program following the 2007 season, a year in which he had 56 receptions for 619 yards and six touchdowns. The most productive season by a tight end since was CJ Conrad‘s 2018 campaign, but his numbers were about half of what Tamme produced (30 rec., 318 yards, 3 TDs).

When that question is asked this summer, Big Blue Nation is finally going to receive the answer they’ve been looking for: Yes.

There are two reasons why you should expect tight end production to improve. Stein has the right weapons and ammunition at the position.

It starts with Willie Rodriguez, one of Stein’s top retention priorities this offseason. During the Northern Kentucky native’s second season in Lexington, he caught 23 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. He has the desired size and athleticism to excel at the position in the SEC.

“Willie can play a lot of different spots. I think you can obviously line him up in the core, in the slide, in the backfield. He is — kind of wherever you put him, that’s where it looks like he fits,” Stein said recently.

Stein’s scheme lines up his tight ends all over the field, using different alignments to create mismatches. It worked like a charm in 2025.

Oregon’s wide receiver group was ravaged by injury. The passing production did not dip, thanks to Kenyon Sadiq. The best tight end in the Big Ten earned Second Team All-American honors after catching 51 passes for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns. Daniel Jeremiah ranks Sadiq as the No. 21 prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Sadiq is an uncommon athlete at the position. They don’t make many like him, but Kentucky has one of those guys. Mikkel Skinner was a jack-of-all-trades as a high school senior in 2024, a Top-200 prospect who caught passes and ran it out of the backfield as a quarterback. Stein sees some Sadiq in Skinner’s game.

“Mikkel kind of the same way. He reminds me somewhat of a Kenyon Sadiq-type player that I had at Oregon, which is a really versatile athlete that we can use in a lot of different ways,” said the new UK head coach.

“Both of those kids are working their tails off right now. Glad to get Willie back. That was a big get for us, just from a culture standpoint and just from a need. So, yeah, both of those guys I think provide a lot in that tight end room.”

Those two will also get some help from a couple of in-line tight ends, Henry Boyer and Elijah Brown. Boyer, who I affectionately describe as a “big sum’ bitch,” flashed with 62 yards on five catches last season.

Will Stein’s mantra is “Feed the Studs.” However, there are plenty of questions about the wide receiver room in 2026. How can you alleviate some of that pressure in the passing game? Give the quarterback three running backs who excel as pass-catchers and game-changers at tight end. This group of tight ends can elevate Stein’s first offense by bringing production to the position that Kentucky fans have not seen in a long time.