There’s nothing college football fans like debating more than which university is king at producing talent at a certain position. The title of “DBU” has been long debated, and in recent years we’ve seen some shakeup.
Some historic juggernauts at positions have lost their crowns. For example, Penn State is no longer advertised as “Linebacker U” by most. In David M. Hale’s breakdown of college football’s “Position U 2022” for ESPN, he sees a clear winner of the mantle of “TE-U.”
Sure, other schools have made a recent run at this honor — from Iowa to Stanford to UCLA. But even if Miami hasn’t produced anyone of the caliber of George Kittle in recent years, the run of talent at this position remains impressive. The Canes have had 13 tight ends drafted since 2000, including first-rounders Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow, Greg Olsen and David Njoku. Will Mallory could be the next breakout star this season, or perhaps blue-chip 2022 signee Jaleel Skinner bursts onto the scene. Regardless, Miami’s position as Tight End U isn’t in doubt for the foreseeable future. – Hale, ESPN.
It opens up an interesting debate. What quantifies being the school synonymous with a position? Lineage or recent success? If you’re looking at recent years, there are some other teams that make a very good claim, including the Hawkeyes.
George Kittle is a top-three NFL tight end, while T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant are both good, starting quality NFL tight ends. Hockenson makes it into most top 10 lists, and many think that Noah Fant has a lot more to offer with the Seattle Seahawks.
Sam LaPorta will be another tight end from Iowa drafted this year as well. Stanford’s produced some really good ones in recent years. Zach Ertz is one of the best tight ends of his generation and Austin Hooper and Dalton Schultz have been extremely underrated in recent years. Of course, there is Florida. Kyle Pitts looks like a game breaker already, and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football | Hawkeyes Wire…