Tight ends are 'big-time threats' for Kentucky -- when they're taking care of the football

Folks, a Kentucky quarterback finally threw the ball to the tight ends. After years of begging, the Wildcats saw not one, but two players at the position lead the team in receiving in the season-opening win vs. Toledo. Josh Kattus earned 43 yards on three receptions while Willie Rodriguez added 31 yards on two catches.

Those numbers came with a few asterisks, specifically for the latter. Rodriguez, a sophomore tight end out of Taylor Mill, was excellent until he wasn’t. He caught his first ball — Zach Calzada‘s first completion as a Wildcat — for eight yards. Then, early in the second quarter, he hauled in a catch on the run and scampered downfield for a 23-yard gain into scoring territory.

Tackle attempt leads to a strip and fumble, recovered by Toledo. One of many self-inflicted mistakes for Kentucky in the opener.

“The turnover with Willie about 40 yards down the field hurt us,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said. “… We just have to take care of the football in those situations. Today had a similar feel of, every time we were about to get something going, there was a self-inflicted wound that hurt us.”

As for the other asterisk, the tight end production was essentially all of the passing game on Saturday. Their wide receiver teammates combined for 12 yards on four catches with the only player earning multiple receptions, Hardley Gilmore IV, finishing with negative yardage.

We asked for more looks to the tight ends, not all of the looks with essentially nothing else. But we’ll take whatever we can get at this stage when you only finish with 85 total passing yards, right? They certainly won’t complain about it.

“That was fun. I don’t look at the game that way, I just go out there and play,” Kattus said of the increased targets for both tight ends. “If the ball finds me, it finds me. Willie made some plays, and I got some hands on the ball. It was a lot of fun and we’ll just try to keep it up.”

Of his highlights, no play was bigger than his 18-yard reception to the 50-yard-line to open the second half. Catching Calzada’s ball out in the flat, he raced down the left sideline and took off at the 46 before landing at the 50, hurdling over a poor defender in the process.

For him, it was a career moment, something he’s wanted to do for years and finally managed to pull off.

.@JKattus with the bunnies to cap off a big gain 🐰

📺 – SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/SMPttPXKs3

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 30, 2025

“You just have to make up your mind before you do it. I caught the ball, I saw the guy and said, ‘Screw it. Hurdle.’ I was flying in the air for a second, but when I hit the ground, it kinda hurt,” Kattus said of his hurdle. “… It was pretty cool, I can’t lie. It’s something I’ve told myself, like, if I don’t hurdle someone before my college career is over, it’s a failed career. I finally did it and it was just a cool thing in the moment. My teammates were around me celebrating, and that’s all that matters.

“Just giving the team some juice. It was a good play.

He couldn’t help but think he could’ve done more to help the Wildcats when the passing attack wasn’t going as hoped. In fact, there was one jump ball down the left sideline he nearly hauled in that would have been featured on YOU GOT MOSSED!

Instead, it got batted down and became one of many what-if moments from the day. The entire passing unit completed countless balls like that in camp, but couldn’t convert any of them to open the season. They expect that to change as the rust is knocked off and the game reps ramp up.

“I had one down the field that would’ve been a great catch, but if I come down with that, that’s moving the chains,” Kattus continued. “… I was screaming a lot of curse words at myself. I want to make every opportunity when I get the chance, that’s one I’d like to have back.

“I was just mad at myself because it was a great pass by Zach. We’ll get it next week. … We’re gonna be good.”

One way or another, those two tight ends will be a big part of that success moving forward. And that’s music to BBN’s ears.

“I think they can be some big-time threats for us, you know?” Hamdan said. “… You guys know, I think they’re both good players. They’re physical, they’re tough, they’re everything you want.”