Iowa State has talented, but largely unproven tight ends vying for playing time

AMES — There is one overarching requirement for an Iowa State tight end in search of playing time. It’s a simple — but far from easy — pad-popping proposition.

“If you’re not going to play on special teams, you can’t play tight end for us here,” Cyclones tight ends coach Taylor Mouser said recently during fall camp. “That’s how it started with Jared Rus and (walk-on) Stevo Klotz will be the next guy that you guys notice out there.”

Rus is ISU’s only returning tight end with significant experience. Former Cyclone standouts Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen are now in the NFL. So it’s only natural that ISU’s often tight end-heavy offense cuts back on the position group’s usage, right? Not necessarily, Mouser said.

“They learned from two great tight ends in Charlie and Chase,” Mouser said. “I’m excited to have them go put their own twist on it.The toughness and grit and their dedication to what we’re trying to do here is exactly what I want for the guys that I coach. Those guys will die for every inch to help us win any football game.”

The list of “those guys” starts with Rus, a former North Scott star who has primarily been used as a blocker, but caught the first seven passes of his career last season. It also features converted quarterback Easton Dean, highly-touted redshirt freshman Tyler Moore, and former junior-college transfer DeShawn Hanika. All three are 6-5 or taller and capable of stretching the field.

“(Dean) and DeShawn are both incredible route runners,” Mouser said. “Tyler is an incredible route runner. This summer, all three of them ran over 20 miles per hour with the Catapult thing, so they can all roll. And they’re all creative.”

They’ll have to be. Kolar caught 168 passes for 2,181 yards and 23 touchdowns in his ISU career — all program records for a tight end. Allen caught 74 passes for 810 yards and six touchdowns while battling injuries. Dean has caught two passes. Hanika and Moore have caught zero.

So the competition to be the second or third tight end has been both fierce and illuminating.

“They’re all going to play,” Mouser said. “Who plays most (depends) on me finding out what they’re good at and where I can plug and play them.”

Moore, a former Johnston standout, outlined what that looks like from his perspective.

“I feel like I’ve just got to come back every day and just be the most consistent guy,” he said. “Keep stacking days on days and stay in the film room, keep my plays down and just come to practice fully prepared so I’m not making mistakes — and when I have my opportunity, just be 100 percent in those opportunities.”

Kolar provided that blueprint for creatively committing to excellence. So did Allen, but he best personified what Mouser believes his tight ends serve as in the Cyclones’ offense.

He calls them “janitors,” and whatever their experience level, it’s clear an ISU tight end must be ready to help with anything and everything; always “on call” in every situation.

“They have to clean up a lot of problems and mistakes that come up,” Mouser said. “They have to be savvy and be able to make the plays right, whether that’s on the front side of our outside zone, nor the back side of our inside and end zone stuff. I think those guys are a lot further along than I expected.”

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com