If you line up position group by position group, this might be the position on NU's roster that ranks best in the Big Ten. In terms of productivity, not necessarily, but in terms of talent, I think so.
Vitale is a known quantity, though his productivity (40 catches, 400ish yards) could be considered a disappointment last year, though that's more due to the passing game disaster for much of the season.
Dickerson was at his best in the ND game. He only had four catches - two vs. ND - but seemed to belong when he was out there. Except for ND, I think he was exclusively used as a true tight end, rather than a wing or a slot.
Jayme Taylor's biggest contribution was his touchdown pass from the slot that got NU back in the Cal game, but he wound up with 9 catches overall. His longest was an 18 yarder against Wisconsin, though I honestly don't remember it.
My evaluation of Taylor and Dickerson is mostly based on The Eye Test, to the extend that my Eye-valuation matters (and it doesn't).
This is obviously a unique position for NU, really since the spread came to Evanston. Certainly Dunsmore and some others had talent, but the position has never had the depth to justify multi-TE packages.
The advantages of a multi-TE package are obvious - out of "1-3" personnel, with JJ and the three superbacks in the huddle, NU can go jumbo or four-wide spread, keeping the defense off-balance even if they huddle. (I would see Dickerson in-line, Taylor as a wing, and Vitale in the backfield as the best deployment here, with a wheel route to #40 within the realm. And I think either Taylor or Vitale could fit split wide.)
With productivity at WR down last year (though presumably bolstered by CJones' return) this seems like an opportunity for McCall to flex some mad-genius muscle, and bring the offense somewhere it's never been. Granted the opportunity could have been there to use all three last year, but Dickerson and Taylor were freshmen, and the Mark transfer and Jones injury came so late as to make preseason tinkering an impossibility.
What are your thoughts on this threesome? Am I overstating? I think there's a great opportunity... After all, a reliable tight end can be a young quarterback's best friend, and NU will most certainly have an inexperienced signal caller out there.
Vitale is a known quantity, though his productivity (40 catches, 400ish yards) could be considered a disappointment last year, though that's more due to the passing game disaster for much of the season.
Dickerson was at his best in the ND game. He only had four catches - two vs. ND - but seemed to belong when he was out there. Except for ND, I think he was exclusively used as a true tight end, rather than a wing or a slot.
Jayme Taylor's biggest contribution was his touchdown pass from the slot that got NU back in the Cal game, but he wound up with 9 catches overall. His longest was an 18 yarder against Wisconsin, though I honestly don't remember it.
My evaluation of Taylor and Dickerson is mostly based on The Eye Test, to the extend that my Eye-valuation matters (and it doesn't).
This is obviously a unique position for NU, really since the spread came to Evanston. Certainly Dunsmore and some others had talent, but the position has never had the depth to justify multi-TE packages.
The advantages of a multi-TE package are obvious - out of "1-3" personnel, with JJ and the three superbacks in the huddle, NU can go jumbo or four-wide spread, keeping the defense off-balance even if they huddle. (I would see Dickerson in-line, Taylor as a wing, and Vitale in the backfield as the best deployment here, with a wheel route to #40 within the realm. And I think either Taylor or Vitale could fit split wide.)
With productivity at WR down last year (though presumably bolstered by CJones' return) this seems like an opportunity for McCall to flex some mad-genius muscle, and bring the offense somewhere it's never been. Granted the opportunity could have been there to use all three last year, but Dickerson and Taylor were freshmen, and the Mark transfer and Jones injury came so late as to make preseason tinkering an impossibility.
What are your thoughts on this threesome? Am I overstating? I think there's a great opportunity... After all, a reliable tight end can be a young quarterback's best friend, and NU will most certainly have an inexperienced signal caller out there.
