| HEIGHT | 6' 2" | SHUTTLE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 222 lbs | VERTICAL | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- |
Playing for Cinco Ranch HS, Brant Kuithe starred for the Cougars as a RB and QB during his last two seasons. His efforts to develop as a QB led him to work with former QB specialist David Klingler, a former standout at the University of Houston. Kuithe also competed in track and field (100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump). Without the luxury of early athletic testing results from Kuithe, that track and field experience speaks to his speed and explosiveness.
Kuithe did it all in HS, even acting as the starting punter as a senior, averaging 40.0 yards on 22 punts. Let's check out his HS offensive numbers:
Kuithe is a hard-nosed, move tight end. He displayed improved route technique and quickness out of his breaks during the 2021 season. Kuithe showcases the ability to scramble open on off-schedule pass plays and as a capable threat on Jet Sweeps. His plus athleticism can be witnessed from his acceleration after the catch. And Kuithe can return a bit of punishment with the ball in his hands.
A considerable contributor dating back to his true freshman season at Utah and taking advantage of the extra COVID year, Kuithe will enter the NFL in 2023 with loads of experience. Here are his numbers from his first four seasons with the program:
The Utes have focused on a run-heavy scheme during Kuithe's career. But that only highlights the impressiveness of his production. He offers a list of examples of having the hand strength to secure contested catches. With his size, speed and tremendous run-after-catch potential, Kuithe gives his QB a sturdy target in the middle of the field. He also plays bigger, stronger and more physical than his listed size.
Two factors stand out above all others from Kuithe: (1) he's too much for most LBs to handle one-on-one and (2) he has an excellent feel for finding the soft spots against zone. It's his QB experience that has allowed him to excel in these areas so early in his career. Let's examine his collegiate coverage scheme success (measured in FPs/route rankings among all TEs returning to school):
Across from the Big 5 (Cover 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6), Kuithe averaged a rank of 23.2 and, adding his placement on work inside the red zone, his average rank is 28.5. Both numbers are the third-lowest among all TEs returning to school. Beyond impressive.
To date, Kuithe ranks with the seventh-most career FPs/route (0.51), second-highest target rate (25%) and fourth-most YPRR (2.26) among TEs returning to school.
Kuithe might benefit from packing on additional mass to get him up to the 230 range. He does need some work with his double moves. And it appears he may be below average when tracking the deep ball. Kuithe was a little on the tight side getting into some of his breaks. His hand-eye coordination gave him some troubles last season with as many drops as he had in his three years prior - unlikely to be a long-term issue.
As a run blocker, Kuithe has been prone to overstepping his landmark. But he will bring a massive amount of blocking experience from a run-heavy scheme for his future team to build a professional foundation. The only example we have of injury was to a "leg" in a late October game as a HS senior that ended his season three games early.
Brant's father, Dennis Kuithe, played TE at North Texas. He also has a fraternal twin brother, Blake Kuithe, who plays on the D-line at Utah. Growing up in Katy, Texas, Kuithe always dreamed of playing for his beloved Texas Longhorns, but that opportunity never came calling.
He closed out his prep career with Texas 19-6A MVP honors. He was regarded by scouting circuits as a universal three-star athlete in the class of 2018. Kuithe originally committed with his brother to play for hometown Rice until former HC David Bailiff was fired. The brother's determination to matriculate together reduced their options. Among 15 FBS scholarship offers, only three came from Power Five programs and the twins signed on with Utah three months after reopening their commitment to Rice.
While Blake suffered a torn ACL, Brant saw an opportunity to contribute on offense as a true freshman and pounced. His second season on campus earned him a Second Team Pac-12 All-Conference selection. Kuithe led the Utes in receptions (34), yards (602) and TDs (6) as a true sophomore. His nine total TDs tied for the most among FBS TEs.
The pandemic restricted the Pac-12 regular season to only five games, but it didn't prevent Kuithe from earning another Second Team Pac-12 All-Conference selection. He once again led the team in receptions (25). After defeating Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship 38-10, Kuithe and the Utes very nearly took down Ohio State in the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl (45-48) and Kuithe led his squad in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (77). For the third-consecutive season, Kuithe was selected Second Team Pac-12 All-Conference.
| HEIGHT | 6' 4" | SHUTTLE | 4.88 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 249 lbs | VERTICAL | 31.6 |
| 40 TIME | 4.78 seconds |
Sam LaPorta closed out his time with Highland High School ranked second in Illinois HS history in receiving TDs (50) and third in receiving yards (3,793). As you can see below, his penchant for improvement each season with the Bulldogs foretold big things to come:
Kirk Ferentz compared LaPorta to Dallas Clark who, along with George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson, have served as his mentors. Some of his most impressive traits on tape at Iowa, LaPorta helps his quarterback by presenting a big target and working hard back to throws. His play speed picks up as he progresses through his routes. LaPorta definitely appears much faster on tape than his 17-year-old testing indicates.
Let's take a look at his Iowa production:
Other important traits for LaPorta include stemming defenders away from his routes and accelerating out of breaks to gain separation. Tapping into his basketball experience, LaPorta knows how to get open and has the timing to win in high-point situations. While he still needs a bit of seasoning with his blocking, he does fit up into his blocks with a broad base.
To date, LaPorta ranks with the fifth-highest career target rate (23%) and 15th-most YPRR (1.78) among TEs returning to school.
The first areas of improvement that stand out are best detailed through his coverage scheme success profile, determined by FPs/route rank against the Big Five (Cover 1, 2 , 3, 4 and 6) and inside the Red Zone vs. all TEs returning to school:
As you can see above, LaPorta must make strides in his approach to attacking man coverage (Cover 1). He could begin to accomplish that by becoming more physical at the top of the route like we saw from him prior to packing weight onto his frame at the Rivals Camp Series in 2018. He should also work to avoid leaning prior to his route breaks. At this stage, he's a pure zone-beater that will rely on the scheme to help him uncover.
LaPorta is nothing special/not very dynamic after the catch. And he let the run game down a bit this past season after a phenomenal 2020 showing. The area of his blocking that stood out the most for development was his hand placement at the point of attack.
LaPorta jumped out to an Illinois 5A Honorable Mention All-Conference at WR as a 14-year-old freshman at Highland High School. He further advanced his game the next season to earn Illinois 5A First Team All-Conference at DB (63 tackles - 53 solo, three INTs) and All-Area honors at WR. His coach immediately recognized he had something special in LaPorta, naming him a team captain as a sophomore.
Continuing to develop his game, LaPorta was selected Illinois 5A First Team All-State at WR & All-Area at DB (55 tackles - 48 solo, seven INTs and one returned for a TD) as a junior. Just another day at the office for LaPorta with Illinois 6A First Team All-State at WR and All-Area at DB (80 tackles - 53 solo and seven more INTs) during his final prep season.
Something that has benefitted his development, LaPorta also played basketball throughout his HS career. In spite of his impressive production, the only schools to initially offer LaPorta were Bowling Green and Central Michigan. That's most likely due to his testing (listed above) at Lindenwood University's Mega Camp in St. Charles, Missouri on March 5, 2018. At the time, LaPorta was a lanky 6-foot-4 and 190-pounder.
When Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods was on the road scouting A.J. Epenesa, he was pointed in LaPorta's direction. The Iowa staff attended one of his basketball games where his moves on the court intrigued them. Iowa later invited him to the Hawkeye summer camp in 2018 and, six days later, LaPorta signed his national letter of intent.
By his true sophomore year at Iowa, LaPorta had packed 59 pounds onto the frame of that skinny HS senior. He led the team in receptions (27) and ranked second in receiving yards (271) as a true sophomore. The effort earned him an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. An impressive career built upon considerable annual development brought home a Third Team All-Big Ten last season.
| HEIGHT | 6' 5" | SHUTTLE | 4.38 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 244 lbs | VERTICAL | 36.8" |
| 40 TIME | 4.82 seconds |
Cameron Latu is short in the experience department at TE but made serious strides last season for Alabama. Devoting his efforts to defense at Olympus High School, his receiving production was minimal:
Latu plays every down as if it could be his last. A lack of athleticism is a death sentence for a TE but, as you can see testing examples of above, Latu offers a good combination of size, quickness and play speed for the position. Latu is a team player who's willing to do whatever his coaches ask of him. He's a former edge rusher and he's built like it. It provides him with the power after the catch to carry body tacklers.
The FPG bottom line from the 2021 season may not blow your mind, but Latu requires that we view his future from behind a lens of potential:
Latu displays a willingness to handle his share of the heavy lifting as a run blocker in a zone scheme. And he appears to have the strength to sustain. Cameron will seek out collisions after the catch rather than running out of bounds. It was a pleasant surprise to see him consistently center his targets. With an aggressive approach drawn from his defensive experience, Latu drives his feet through contact.
Any doubts as to his immense NFL upside can be laid to rest by checking out his coverage scheme success (measured in FPs/route rankings among all TEs returning to school):
Against the Big Five schemes (Cover 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6), Latu averaged a rank of 75th. Eliminating Cover 6 due to his lack of reps, that average drops to 54th - 23rd-lowest. Plugging in his rank inside the Red Zone alongside the Big Five, Latu generated an average rank of 67th. With a fearless demeanor and top-flight physicality, Latu has the size, strength and athleticism to be a difference maker at the next level.
To date, Latu ranks with the eighth-highest career YPT (11.1) and sixth-highest targeted passer rating (146.7) among TEs returning to school.
Pointed out with his Cover 1 rank above, Latu still has work to do in his understanding of defeating one-on-one coverage. He can run upright into his route breaks and needs to learn how to either adjust his routes or to make earlier disengagents. While not a massive concern or surprise, Latu will need to continue devoting his efforts to the Jugs machine to get his drop rate down.
As he develops, he'll eventually replace his tendency to allow defenders to close with working hard back to the ball. Latu has had the benefit of Bryce Young's elite accuracy, But Cameron displayed inconsistency when adjusting to throws outside of his frame. He also needs more experience in pass protection, as he has been slow at times when adjusting to his assignment during the flow of the play.
Latu grew up in Chisholm, Minnesota, spending those early days entirely devoted to rugby. He didn't start playing organized football until moving to Salt Lake City, Utah when he was 13. But he still played his beloved rugby throughout HS. Latu was ranked as the 11th-best No. 8 man during his rugby HS career. He also has an identical twin brother, Nathan Latu, who is an outside 'backer at Oklahoma State.
Cameron ended his junior season at Olympus HS with Utah 4A Second Team All-State honors at edge rusher. Primarily playing weakside defensive end, Latu created 65 tackles (17 solo), 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two batted passes. He continued to focus on the defensive side of the ball as a senior, generating 43 tackles (15 solo), 11 for loss, six sacks, one INT, four batted passes and one fumble recovery. That defensive effort earned him a Utah 5A First Team All-State selection.
Both Latu brothers were originally committed to play for BYU - their D-line coaches at Olympus, Matt and Ryan Reynolds, were former BYU D-linemen. After Cameron was scouted as one of the top outside LBs from the 2018 class and as a four-star prospect, serious powerhouse attention led him to reopen his commitment. Latu eventually settled on Alabama over scholarship offers from Notre Dame, USC, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Oregon, UCLA and Washington (23 total FBS offers) in order to compete with what he considered to be the best; the Tide recruited him to play JACK linebacker.
Following a redshirt season in 2018, Latu spent the next season playing special teams and well down the LB depth chart. Nick Saban approached him the following season about switching to TE. He dove head-first into the role, but his standing as a core special teamer would continue to be his only path to playing time, as he struggled djusting to his blocking responsibilities.
Turning heads in '21 camp, Latu dominated scrimmages with two TDs in the first, a TD in five straight and recorded a 59-yard TD reception from Young in the A-Day game.
Everyone assumed Jahleel Billingsley would become the next big thing at TE for the Tide. But Saban was not pleased with his work during the '21 preseason. As for Latu, Saban gushed over his development, maturity, athleticism, physicality, command of the offense, route running, speed, hands and blocking. Latu overtook Billingsley for the starting job but, even after earning the featured role, the consensus hope was that Billingsley would eventually emerge.
Far from it. Billingsley would end up transferring to Texas at the end of the season.
Latu's first two catches for the Tide were TDs against Miami (FL) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. He ended up setting the Alabama TE record for TD catches (eight) and over a third of his 26 receptions came on third down (10/128/2 line), pacing the team. He also led all Crimson Tide receivers with 102 yards and a TD in the CFP National Championship against Georgia.
| HEIGHT | 6' 5" | SHUTTLE | 4.29 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 251 lbs | VERTICAL | 31 1/4" |
| 40 TIME | 4.84 seconds |
Few TEs in the country can approach the mile-high future ceiling for Michael Mayer. His route adjustments are crafty and - the very most important route for an NFL TE - his specialty just happens to be the crossing/drag pattern. Mayer leverages positioning with his body at the top of his route, knowing full well what type of coverage is on the field beforehand.
Quoted a response from one of his televised interviews as a true freshman at Notre Dame, Mayer stated:
I feel like the most important thing is knowing if it's man or zone.
To be clear, that's not even a complete quote. But we don't need the context around that sentence. At that early age, an understanding of scheme setup already places him in the 99.9th-percentile. When he made that statement, Mayer had only been playing organized football for a touch over four years! Just check out these coverage scheme profile (measured in FPs/route rankings) compared to all TEs returning to school:
Mayer has a chance to become one of the best all-around tight ends in the game. He showcases consistent pacing through his route breaks in order to optimize his separation in a phone booth. He offers his QB a safety blanket with his ability to drop and save the low throws. And contested catches in traffic are simply a part of his routine. Whereas most TEs in HS are busy adjusting to their significant growth spurts, Mayer posted the following statistical development:
With his plus athleticism and separation burst, Mayer consistently abuses linebackers. He runs leveraged, sharp routes and shields the catch point using his frame. Mayer also has an impressive catch radius, effortlessly snagging off-target throws. Let's check out his numbers with Notre Dame:
As if it weren't enough, Mayer is already presenting as a sound in-line blocker with the max effort, proper hand placement and the toughness to sustain and finish after locking in.
To date, Mayer ranks with the 18th-most career FPs/route (0.40), 13th-highest target rate (21%) and 18th-most YPRR (1.72) among TEs returning to school. Keep in mind, he doesn't play in one of the collegiate offenses where he is the only playmaker capable of generating offense.
Entering his Age 21 season, Mayer is not without areas for improvement. He is prone to getting a bit upright into some of his breaks. And, as you can see from his FPs/route rank above, there's still room for Mayer to improve his body positioning when working inside the red zone. He also gets into a bit of a hurry at times as a run blocker. While his future team likely won't use him much in pass pro, he did show some examples of struggling to maintain a reasonable anchor. However, these are all common areas requiring seasoning from TEs when entering the NFL.
Mayer's first high school coach talked him into giving football a try prior to his freshman year at Covington Catholic. Four years later, Mayer had led his team to a 44-1 record (97.8% winning percentage) and garnered a reputation as the top TE prospect in the country from the 2020 class.
Mayer collected Kentucky 5A All-State honors as a junior and closed out his HS career with MVP honors in the 5A state championship, for which he was later selected as the Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year. At The Opening Finals presented by Nike+ in Frisco, Texas prior to his senior season, Mayer dominated the competition to recognition as 247Sports' Alpha Dog.
Following the pre-collegiate combine, Mayer was reclassified as a five-star prospect. 247Sports National Director of Scouting Barton Simmons had this to say:
Michael Mayer is such a complete player and the way he has performed at such a high level at every event we have seen him at, it was just too much to ignore. He checks off all of the boxes athletically, he's incredibly consistent, he had a huge senior year in terms of productivity, and he has a multi-sport background. He is a safe pick at this spot, but he is also a high-upside guy.
Mayer was essentially offered by every major FBS powerhouse but, after only making a single official visit (Notre Dame), he fulfilled the verbal pledge he made to the program as a HS sophomore. As a true sophomore for the Irish, Mayer set the Notre Dame single-season records for receptions (42) and receiving yards (450). Tying for the team lead in catches and finishing second in yards, Mayer was responsible for one of every six third-down conversions.
Business as usual from Mayer last season, leading the Irish in receptions (71), finished tied for first in TDs (seven) and second in yards (840). Good for the fourth-most receiving yards and eighth-most TDs by a TE in the FBS. He reset his own Notre Dame records for the most receptions, yards and added the standard for TDs by a TE in a single season. He also (twice) tied the school record for most single-game receptions by a TE (nine). He was honored as a Third Team All-American and John Mackey Award Semifinalist.
| HEIGHT | 6' 7" | SHUTTLE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 233 lbs | VERTICAL | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- |
Like most young kids who eventually go on to play TE, Josh Whyle hit some aggressive growth spurts while attending La Salle High School. By the time he was a junior, his frame had filled out to 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. As you might guess for a kid who previously weighed under 200 pounds, Whyle's game didn't emerge until that junior season:
After a minimal role in 2019, Whyle's final lines from his last two seasons at Cincinnati are essentially a copy-and-paste of one another:
Whyle is excellent at making instant adjustments to the ball. His catch radius is truly impressive, effortlessly altering his pad level on low throws. His testing potential appears high and his former basketball experience is apparent while he makes route adjustments in traffic and wins during high-point opportunities. We have yet to see the full extent of his YAC potential.
Whyle's obvious athletic ability and speed stand out, bursting off the line and accelerating through the turn to separate from defenders. Like the most talented TEs, his subtle speed alterations through his routes present a threat on every play. For a flooring example, take a look at these coverage scheme success ranks (FPs/route) compared to all TEs returning to school:
Whyle's average rank when working against the Big Five (Cover 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6) is 29.4 - the fourth-lowest among all returning TEs. Including his production inside the red zone, his 27.5 average ranks as the second-lowest!
Whyle's core special teams experience throughout his Cincinnati career will guarantee his NFL roster spot, independent of his offensive production. Whyle activates as a blocker with experience from a variety of formations. His blocking is already very close to an NFL level.
To date, Whyle ranks with the second-most career FPs/route (0.55), fifth-highest target rate (23%) and 15th-most YPRR (1.78) among TEs returning to school.
Whyle was forced to redshirt his first season on campus due to a collarbone fracture and later missed two games as a redshirt freshman with an ankle injury. However, he's played in 24 consecutive games for UC since those injuries.
He was uncharacteristically quiet over first six games (3.4 FPG) last season, but came on over his final seven AAC games (10.4 FPG). Overall, his impressive 2.94 YPRR from 2020 fell to 1.58 last season (46% decline). Better consistency and improved physicality at the top of his routes are areas for improvement during the 2022 season.
Whyle helped his La Salle HS team collect its third-consecutive Ohio Division II title as a junior. He closed his final season with the Lancers being honored as First Team All-Ohio. Scouted as one of the Top-10 TEs from the 2018 class, Whyle was inundated with over 30 FBS, 20 Power Five scholarship offers. He ultimately chose UC to stay close to home - he lives in Mount Airy and attended HS in Cincinnati, providing the Bearcats with one of its most highly-rated local area commitments in the last 10 years.
An injury during spring practice forced Whyle to take a redshirt during his first year on campus. He spent the majority of his second year as a core special teamer and as a depth option at TE behind Josiah Deguara and Bruno Labelle. His opportunity came as a redshirt sophomore when he led the team in receiving yards (353) and TDs (six). It earned Whyle a selection as Second Team All-AAC. Whyle's production averages dipped a bit last season, but he still finished second on the team with another six TDs.
