Tight end evolution makes Gophers offense more dangerous

During the first four seasons of Gophers football under coach P.J. Fleck, tight ends were pass-catching options in name only. Minnesota tight ends caught a combined 18 passes in 2017, then from 2018 through 2020, the yearly production, in order, was six catches, eight catches and seven catches.

By comparison, Penn State All-America tight end Tyler Warren had seven games of seven or more receptions in 2024 alone.

It’s almost as if throwing to the tight end was a trick play during Kirk Ciarrocca’s first three years (2017-19) and Mike Sandford Jr.’s first (2020) as Gophers offensive coordinator.

As personnel changed, so did the tight ends narrative, starting in 2021 when Brevyn Spann-Ford, the 6-7, 270-pound standout who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys, caught 23 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. A year later, the St. Cloud native blew up for 42 receptions for 497 yards and two scores under Ciarrocca. While Spann-Ford’s numbers dipped to 25 catches for 239 yards in Greg Harbaugh Jr.’s first season as Gophers offensive coordinator, tight ends became more of a pass-catching factor in 2024, and that should continue this season.

Personnel, again, is the reason.

Jameson Geers, a 6-5, 250-pounder, improved from two catches for 10 yards and a TD as a sophomore in 2023 to 28 receptions for 290 yards and four TDs last year. He’s developing a connection with quarterback Drake Lindsey and has emerged as a leader in his position group.

“It feels really exciting. We’re going to use a lot of tight ends in the pass and run game this year,” Geers, a Channahon, Ill., native said. “We’ve been evolving as an offense the past couple months. And we’re going to be really involved in all aspects of the offense.”

Tight end isn’t a one-man position at Minnesota, nor is it a one-skill position.

Fleck’s early Gophers teams might not have had big statistical numbers from tight ends, but they did get productivity in terms of blocking.

Case in point: Ko Kieft.

“The Angry Ginger” had 12 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns in his career, but his work as a devastating blocker helped the Gophers win three bowl games and post an 11-win season in 2019. A sixth-round NFL draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2022, Kieft is entering his fourth season with the Buccaneers.

Nick Kallerup manned the blocking tight end role the past two years, and he signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent. In the mix to fill the blocking role with the Gophers this fall is sixth-year senior Frank Bierman, who played in all 13 games last year. Bierman said the blocking standard was passed down from Kieft to Spann-Ford to Kallerup and Geers and now to him.

To that end, Bierman, 6-4 and 250 pounds, even changed his number from No. 85 to No. 44 to match his blocking role.

“Last season, I did a lot of cut-back, a lot more physical stuff,” he said. “And so, the coaches thought that would fit me a little bit better. … My parents were a little beside themselves because everything they have was number 85 and everything they’ve passed out, it’s number 85."

The Gophers also added a tight end in the transfer portal in Purdue’s Drew Biber, a fifth-year senior from Cedarburg, Wis. Biber, 6-4 and 245 pounds, caught 13 passes for 113 yards for the Boilermakers last year. He’s received some first-team reps and could be a pass-catching option to complement Geers.