Tight end play is often overlooked in football, especially at the collegiate level where so many "tight ends" are truly glorified fullbacks. It's certainly been an overlooked position at Mississippi State for many years. Could that change in 2025? Here's a look at the tight end room coming out of spring practices.
Mississippi State's top tight ends should compliment each other
Mississippi State's top two options in the tight end room land on both extremes of the tight end play spectrum. On the one end, you've got starter Seydou Traore. Traore is the epitome of a receiving tight end. At 6-4, 235, he's built more like a big wide receiver than a true tight end, and that's effectively what he is.
Traore finished second on the team in receptions last season with 34, finishing with 361 yards and one score. He was an effective pass-catcher over the middle of the field, with Jeff Lebby giving him crossing patterns and option routes to pick on linebackers. He'd also design go-balls for him down the sideline that he's more than capable of going up and getting. But he doesn't offer much in terms of blocking.
Then on the other extreme of the spectrum, there's the 6-7, 250 Cameron Ball. Ball primarily played special teams last season and didn't record any catches in limited offensive snaps. Though he figures to get more opportunity this year, when he's on the field, make no mistake. He's there to be a battering ram.
Tight ends are expected to play as lead-blockers in the run game with regularity in this offense. That's Ball's job. Mash the defense and let State's backs get downhill. Whether or not he can be a factor as a receiver will define how versatile the offense can be with the position in 2025.
After those two, you're mostly looking at depth pieces. Eastern Michigan transfer Max Reese should be a capable enough pass-catcher, and Indiana transfer Sam West and former JUCO Emeka Iloh are developmental prospects.
State needs more from this room this fall in all facets. They need much more physicality in the run game, and in the case of Traore, he's an ideal candidate to see his targets increase as State tries to find it's best option as pass-catchers. Getting the tight ends more involved would be big for the Bulldog offense.