2025 Kentucky Position Previews: Tight End

Kentucky’s fall camp is right around the corner. Before the Cats officially begin the 2025 season, KSR is taking a closer look at the roster and analyzing each position group. Personnel, storylines, questions, and one bold prediction will be included.

Tight end is up next where UK has a new position coach and two key returnees.

Position Preview: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver

Expected Starter

Willie Rodriguez (6-4, 252, So.)

The Covington (Ky.) Catholic product carved out a role as a true freshman and will be a big part of the offense in his second year. Blocking must improve, but Rodriguez has an intriguing skill set as a receiver and could be a seam stretcher for the new quarterback Zach Calzada. An important young talent that Kentucky must continue to develop.

Expect the second-year player to lead this position group in snaps. Rodriguez is a very important piece of the offense in 2025.

Kentucky’s Tight End Room

New coach Derek Shay inherited a room that has five total scholarship players. Kentucky returned two contributors, signed two transfers, and added very talented high school prospect to the position.

Josh Kattus (6-4, 247, Sr.)

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller product has started 14 games and played 900-plus snaps during his first three seasons on campus. Kattus is expected to be a leader in the tight end room and will have a primary role in the offense. The class of 2022 signee is the only offensive player from that class left on the roster. A move tight end who could provide some valuable versatility as a blocker as long as the penalties (10 career flags) are cleaned up.

.@BrockVandagriff ➡️ @JKattus for SIX 🙌

📺 – @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/JeRC29N5i4

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 3, 2024

Henry Boyer (6-6, 265, RJr.)

The former three-star recruit spent three seasons at Illinois and played 238 offensive snaps during his time in Champaign. Served strictly as a blocking in-line tight end. Is projected to fill the same role at Kentucky and have a clear role in the offense’s 12 personnel package. The Chicago native has two years of eligibility remaining.

Elijah Brown (6-6, 258, RJr.)

A former blue-chip recruit out of Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne who signed with Alabama out of high school and spent one season with the Crimson Tide. The tight end then transferred to Florida Atlantic and played for two seasons under Tom Herman. Brown entered the portal after the season and landed at UCF before moving to Kentucky in the spring. Brown brings great positional size to the table and appeared in seven games (132 snaps) for FAU in 2024. Projects to be a backup Y tight end.

Mikkel Skinner (6-4, 231, Fr.)

The four-star recruit is a true flex tight end with excellent ball skills. Off-ball receiving weapon who showed some feistiness as a blocker in space at Greer (S.C.) Riverside. Run-after-catch creator with surprising open-field burst. Logged 44 receptions, 1,140 yards from scrimmage, and 18 total touchdowns as a senior. Usage in college likely will be a blend of receiver and pass-catching tight end. Potential mismatch creator.

Big Question: How involved will this group be in the passing game?

Kentucky fans love throwing the football to the tight end. The discussion around the position is almost always a yearly staple of the offseason and during the season. A Kentucky tight end has not reached the 30-catch threshold since C.J. Conrad went for 30-318-3 in 2018.

Will that change in 2025?

Kentucky used the portal to address in-line tight end to potentially free up Willie Rodriguez and Josh Kattus in two tight end looks. Will either be able to become a consistent target? The former flashed some real pass-catching chops with three receptions for 53 yards against Texas. Will that show up more consitently?

Top Storyline: Derek Shay in, Vince Marrow out

Whenever this position comes up both in the preseason and in the offseason, it will be almost impossible to not talk about the unexpected coaching change. Vince Marrow shockingly left the Kentucky program for Louisville in June. That caused some unexpected staff shuffling.

Quality control assistant Derek Shay has stepped in to replace Marrow.

The former Marshall tight end coach has worked in a support staff role at three separate SEC programs and has a work history with offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. Will Kentucky receive a bump from this coaching change after Marrow spent a dozen years coaching this position?

If any tight end on the roster has a big season, Shay will be given a lot of credit. The Big Blue Nation was not a big fan of Marrow leaving for Louisville. That will remain a storyline all season and the tight end position will be a big talking point when it comes up.

Bold Prediction: Willie Rodriguez records 5 receiving touchdowns

No tight end in the Mark Stoops era has recorded five receiving touchdowns in a season. That changes in 2025.

Willie Rodriguez is set to become a big part of the offense moving forward and is a player that Kentucky could potentially build around. That should lead to targets this season. Rodriguez should be freed up to run routes after the Cats addressed Y tight end in the portal.

The true sophomore from Northern Kentucky becomes a valuable red zone target and finishes the season with five touchdown receptions.