IU’s tight ends are underrated.
With the spotlight on the wide receivers and running backs, the tight ends aren’t normally discussed as the stars of IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s offense.
Don’t tell that to junior tight ends Jordan Fuchs and Danny Friend, though.
“We can make plays,” Fuchs said. “We are just waiting for our moment.”
The duo emerges after IU lost Anthony Corsaro and Michael Cooper to graduation this past season. Corsaro had 10 catches last season, while Cooper had 17. Those aren’t record-breaking numbers, but their departures also create a leadership vacuum.
“The guys last year set a pretty high standard for us to hold as a position group,” Friend said. “We need to keep that going every day.”
In the past few seasons, Wilson has primarily used the tight ends to block and bolster the run game. That should continue this year, but Fuchs, Friend and junior Ian Thomas could see more passing targets.
Friend said he’s stepped up to fill the leadership void after learning from Corsaro and Cooper over the past few seasons.
Staying healthy would help the new group, as injuries derailed IU’s tight ends last season from reaching its full potential.
“We were banged up last year,” Fuchs said. “But we are back and ready to play. We miss those guys, but we are going to step up.”
Fuchs caught four passes and had two touchdowns in 2015, injuries limiting him to just seven games. Fuchs appeared in all 12 games as a freshman, when he caught three balls and found the end zone once.
IU hasn’t used Fuchs consistently over the course of his two years as a Hoosier, but when the ball has come his way he’s been a touchdown machine. At the moment, his reception-to-touchdown ratio is unsustainable. But, it shows he’s a skilled scorer and extremely useful target in the red zone.
Fuchs says he’s improved a lot in those two years.
“(I’m) coming off the ball with more velocity,” Fuchs said. “(I’m) more confident and just know what I’m doing. I’ve been here three years and I know the playbook real well.”
At 6-foot-6, Fuchs is a valuable weapon and adds another dimension to the Hoosiers offense. If he stays healthy, he could be a safety valve for his quarterback and offer a dangerous combination of size and ability to locate the ball.
Friend, like Fuchs, has dealt with injuries over the course of his career. After his freshman season, he missed the entire 2014 season with a knee injury. Last season, he had three receptions in the first four games before a season-ending injury.
A highly rated tight end coming out of high school, Friend hasn’t been able to show what kind of player he was recruited to be. If he stays healthy he may just develop into that.
Still, both Fuchs and Friend know their roles aren’t going to be as glamorous as the wide receivers.
“It depends week-to-week how our game plan is,” Friend said. “We would love to be as involved as we need to be. But, whatever we need to do to help this team win, we’ll do.”
Neither Fuchs nor Friend will likely be in contention for the Mackey Award, yet they should play a big role for this team.
Their volume statistics might once again be limited, but their effectiveness won’t be judged solely on numbers. They will be evaluated on their ability to become red zone forces for the Hoosiers.
If they do, this offense might be impossible to stop.
