There was a time, not all that long ago, when Pitt held an advantage over most opponents at tight end.
From 2012-16, a pair of Western Pennsylvania products -- J.P. Holtz (Shaler) and Scott Orndoff (Seton LaSalle) -- provided stability, toughness and a long line of big plays.
Holtz began his Pitt career in 2012, finishing with 81 catches for 931 yards and 11 touchdowns. Orndoff arrived in 2013, and his senior season (35 for 579, five TDs in 2016) goes down as one of the better ones for any tight end at Pitt.
Indeed, times were good.
In 2017, Matt Flanagan arrived at Pitt as a grad transfer from Rutgers. He was solid, but the dropoff from Holtz and Orndoff was evident. He was complemented by Chris Clark, who previously played at UCLA and was the No. 1 tight end in the country coming out of high school.
The starting job in 2018 was Clark's to lose, but reinforcements were in place. Charles Reeves, a hulking four-star prospect from Steubenville, Ohio, was on the roster. So was Tyler Sear, a Neshannock High School grad, and Grant Carrigan from Pine-Richland.
Clark left the team because of personal reasons toward the end of spring practice. Reeves, who had redshirted in 2017, was dismissed from the team, having never taken the field in a game for Pitt. Options were limited, but Pitt had hope in Will Gragg, a transfer from Arkansas.
Gragg played, but he primarily served as a blocker.
How bad were things at tight end in 2018 for Pitt? Well, Sear transferred to Temple, and the players combined for 10 catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns. That's five fewer yards than the 74-yard touchdown reception Orndoff had against Georgia Tech in 2016
Let that sink in.
That led to Nakia Griffin-Stewart, a grad transfer from Rutgers, joining the team in 2019. Griffin-Stewart and Gragg combined for 38 catches and more than 300 receiving yards, a marked improvement from the year before, but drops were a problem.
So where does that leave Pitt in 2020? Let's take a look at the three key figures who will be in the tight ends room while remembering Carrigan, who did not have a catch in 27 career games, has moved to the offensive line.
LUCAS KRULL
Another in the recent long line of graduate transfers at the position, Krull was stuck behind Kyle Pitts at Florida. No shame there as Pitts is one of the best at the position, a possible early selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
But Krull's story is an interesting one as the former pitcher at Jefferson (Mo.) College is likely the starting tight end at Pitt in 2020.
The 6-foot-7, 257-pound Krull had just nine catches for 108 yards while at Florida, but the former high school receiver from Kansas is considered a crisp route-runner and freakish athlete. He'll need to get better at blocking, but Krull is the most intriguing tight end at Pitt since those Holtz-Orndoff glory days.
New TD celly? @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/cGqwCHh3bT
— Lucas Krull (@Lucas_Krull_) May 5, 2020
Daniel Moraga |6’4 240 Tight End|
Fresno State bounce back.
JUCO |Ventura College|
Explosive TE looking for the right fit?
♦️Fall 2019 Graduate
♦️qualifier
Blocking in the 2nd video!!?☠️@danielmoraga07 @CoachMoose @VCPirateFB pic.twitter.com/SmQoWjmdhZ
— PREMIUM 805 (@PREMIUM805DxR) June 11, 2019
