Semoball.com sports editor Tom Davis will breakdown each position group through the opening days of the Southeast Missouri State football training camp.
Today: Tight End
Friday: Running Back
There has not been a lot of adversity experienced in the three days of Southeast Missouri State football training camp but the tight end position is one of those areas that hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
The loss of starter Austin Crump to injury (torn pectoral muscle suffered during a weight-lifting session) even before the first practice wasn’t planned on, but sixth-year Redhawk coach Tom Matukewicz said his program has to be ready to adapt to such a situation at all times.
“Everybody is like ‘Oh my gosh,’” Matukewicz said. “We should expect someone to get hurt. Someone will get hurt and probably another guy will get hurt. That is why we tell our guys ‘You better prepare.’”
His guys have “prepared” and here is where the position stands at this juncture.
Three athletes are vying to get on the field with fifth-year seniors Bud Hilburn and Eric Williams being complemented by redshirt freshman Caleb Strauss.
Veteran Southeast tight end coach Joe Uhls addressed the challenge of finding a versatile tight end who possessed the skills to block AND catch passes, and he was lucky enough to have that in Crump.
“Austin is at the point of attack on almost every run play,” Uhls said. “Our offense runs through him being successful at that point of attack.
“A lot of times he faces the best players on the defense, which are the defensive ends. He does a great job with that. But he is also really, really athletic.”
Both Uhls and Matukewicz referred to Crump as “the best tight end in the (Ohio Valley Conference).”
Crump started 12 games last season and caught nine passes.
Uhls said Crump’s versatility is indeed rare but there are positives to playing Hilburn, as well.
Whereas, Crump is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Hilburn is stockier at just 6-foot-1 and 247 pounds. That difference in frames lends itself to being utilized differently by Uhls.
“Bud is a really physical player,” Uhls said. “We can lean on him to be a physical presence in our offense.”
Hilburn has played a lot of football for the Redhawks (25 games) but has just one reception in his career.
Uhls may not have Hilburn running a ton of routes this fall but he said his value shows in a lot of ways.
“Bud may be one of the best leaders on our team,” Uhls said. “It is amazing how guys gravitate towards him. The guys respect and respond to him almost instantly. It is really, really cool to see him lead our team.”
Williams was sort of a forgotten man heading into this season – his final one with the Redhawks. However, someone forgot to tell him that.
He spent the past eight months working feverishly in the weight room to “prepare” for the unknown, as Matukewicz has preached, and now he has a chance to play a significant role with Crump out.
“He got beat out by Crump,” Matukewicz said. “He PR’d (personal record) in every lift this summer. Think about that. He wasn’t even going to play. But he PR’d in every lift.
“That is the thing that you try to teach.”
Not only does Williams bring maturity in his preparation but he also brings pass-catching ability.
In 2017, before the emergence of Crump, Williams caught 15 passes.
“He’s a big, athletic guy,” Uhls said of the 6-foot-4, 262-pound athlete.
Williams was recruited as a wide receiver but physically “grew into a tight end,” according to Uhls.
“He keeps that receiver athleticism,” Uhls said.
Matukewicz referred to Strauss as “the future” but that “future” is now with the loss of Crump.
Strauss redshirted last fall but brings two things to the Redhawks: size and pass-catching ability.
As a senior at Warrenton, Strauss caught 39 passes for almost 600 yards and at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds, the kid is BIG.
He did play in four games for Southeast in 2018 but maintained his redshirt status due to the first-year NCAA rule allowing such.
Those four games included the final two regular-season games, as well as the two postseason games.
“He is big,” Uhls said. “He can grow into a role where he can do a lot of different things. As a true freshman, he got to play in four of the biggest games of the year.
“There is nothing I can do to get him ready for that experience other than just being in it. That bodes well for him this year to do more for us.”
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