If there was one thing that was a given for the Virginia Tech football team this season, it was that there was going to be much more usage out of the tight end position. That is a position that James Franklin and offensive coordinator Ty Howle built into a weapon at Penn State.
The number of NFL tight ends that they have produced over the years speaks for itself. If everything continues trending in the direction it is, Luke Reynolds will be the latest from the Franklin and Howle tree to be playing on Sundays in the future.
So far, through three games this season, Reynolds has been a major weapon and difference-maker for the Hokies. It appears that they have no intention of slowing down on him either.
"We thought he was going to have a chance to be special (before he came to Virginia Tech)," said Franklin on Monday at his weekly press conference. "He's getting some credit right now, and he deserves that... So, he's doing a really, really nice job, and we're going to continue to build on this."
Virginia Tech's tight end position is a huge game-changer
Reynolds has already set a career-high in receiving yards with 265, passing his total from last year by eight yards in just three games. In Saturday night's 35-26 victory at Maryland, Reynolds caught 12 passes for 107 yards and a first-quarter touchdown. He had 108 yards and two touchdowns a week earlier against Old Dominion.
Let's not overlook the rest of the tight end room. Benji Gosnell is still part of the room and has come up with big catches early in the season. He is also key in blocking in the run game. Ja'Ricous Hairston had a touchdown catch against the Terrapins from quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. The amount of usage from the tight end position early in the season has been eye-opening.
As Franklin said above, they are going to continue to build on what Reynolds has provided them, and you can add the rest of the tight end room to that as well. That is a telling quote for the nine ACC games and head coaches preparing for the Hokies over the final two months of the regular season, beginning with Boston College this weekend.
Mother Nature might have a big say in the usage of the tight end position this weekend in Chestnut Hill against the Eagles, but look for them to be called on in some sort of fashion. The position is too deep and good to completely ignore it.
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