The 4A Club Midseason Player Rankings: Tight Ends
Every four weeks I like to take a look at the landscape of Class 4A football and come up with my own player rankings based on statistics. How I come up with my ratings is a system based on pro-football-reference.com’s…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEvery four weeks I like to take a look at the landscape of Class 4A football and come up with my own player rankings based on statistics. How I come up with my ratings is a system based on pro-football-reference.com’s “Approximate Value” system of ratings they use for overall performance during a season. For this article, I’m taking a look at my top 10 Class 4A Tight Ends.
*Stats are up to Week 4*
#1. Max Llewellyn Max Llewellyn 6'5" | 235 lbs | DL Urbandale | 2021 State IA , Urbandale, SR – 14.072
6’5, 235 lbs
Receiving: 11 rec, 260 yards, 2 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 295 YPG
Committed: Iowa (4/22/20)
Analysis: While he’s going to Iowa City likely for his defensive efforts, Max Llewellyn Max Llewellyn 6'5" | 235 lbs | DL Urbandale | 2021 State IA has been making some noise on the offensive side as well. Once he gets his hands on the ball, watch out because he is an old school bruiser of a TE who isn’t afraid to lay out some defenders at his feet.
#2. Carson Williams Carson Williams 6'5" | 235 lbs | TE Marshalltown | 2021 State IA , Marshalltown, SR – 11.062
6’5, 225 lbs
Receiving: 17 rec, 178 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 171.25 YPG
Committed: Buffalo (6/10/20)
Analysis: Williams has a little of everything you want out of a tight end. I’d consider him more of a vertical receiving threat, but he’s also pretty solid in run blocking situations too. He’s got the size, but also some speed for some short passes and screen as well.
#3. Kellen Hornbuckle, Pleasant Valley, SR – 8.463
6’4, 230 lbs
Receiving: 8 rec, 151 yards, 1 TD
Team Rushing YPG: 293.5
Highest Offers: D-2 (Augustana (SD), Southwest Minnesota State, Upper Iowa)
Analysis: A key blocker in PV’s triple-option offense, Hornbuckle can be seen tossing pancakes all over the field during their games. He’s also pretty decent as a receiver too. Since this is a run-first team, defenses sometimes don’t expect passes over the middle too often.
#4. Andrew Lentsch Andrew Lentsch 6'5" | 225 lbs | TE Dowling Catholic | 2021 IA , Dowling, SR – 8.028
6’5, 235 lbs
Receiving: 9 rec, 127 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 110.75 YPG
Highest Offers: FCS (Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Southeast Missouri State)
Analysis: Although he missed weeks 2 and 3, Lentsch is off to a strong start nonetheless. He’s put up some solid stats between those two games, and at this rate, he should end up with some pretty good numbers by season’s end.
#5. Eddie Saidat Eddie Saidat 6'2" | 225 lbs | TE Waukee | 2021 IA Jr., Waukee, SR – 6.479 (Incomplete stats)
6’2, 230 lbs
Receiving: 11 rec, 163 yards, 1 TD
Team Rushing YPG: 182.667 YPG
Highest Offers: D-2 (Bemidji State, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, Upper Iowa)
Analysis: Eddie Saidat Eddie Saidat 6'2" | 225 lbs | TE Waukee | 2021 IA is a guy who should be recognized as a pretty good all-around tight end. Big, quick, and powerful, he’s made some spectacular catch and runs already by midseason, and should make some more highlights as the season rolls on.
#6. Trae Swartz Trae Swartz 6'4" | 220 lbs | TE Ottumwa | 2021 IA , Ottumwa, SR – 4.776
6’4, 225 lbs
Receiving: 9 rec, 119 yards, 1 TD
Team Rushing YPG: 140.667 YPG
Highest Offers: D-2 (Minnesota State, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State, Upper Iowa, Wayne State (NE))
#7. Eli Raridon Eli Raridon 6'6" | 230 lbs | TE Valley | 2022 State IA , Valley, JR – 4.061
6’6, 220 lbs
Receiving: 8 rec, 68 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 60.667
Highest Offers: Power-5 (Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Purdue)
#8. Caleb Daniels Caleb Daniels 6'3" | 230 lbs | TE Southeast Polk | 2021 IA , Southeast Polk, SR – 3.766
6’4, 237 lbs
Receiving: 7 rec, 83 yards, 2 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 262.75
Committed: Minnesota State (9/22/20)
#9. Gannon Williams, Marshalltown, SR – 3.294
6’4, 205 lbs
Receiving: 6 rec, 63 yards, 1 TD
Team Rushing YPG: 171.25
Highest Offers: N/A
#10. Jalyn Thompson, Dowling, SO – 2.830
6’5, 215 lbs
Receiving: 4 rec, 33 yards, 0 TDs
Team Rushing YPG: 110.75 YPG
Highest Offers: N/A