Freddie Whittingham Named Football Scoop’s National Tight End Coach Of The Year
Jan 5, 2023, 11:52 AM
Freddie Whittingham, tight ends coach of the Utah Utes, watches warmups before their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Rice Eccles Stadium November 12, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- Utah football tight end coach Freddie Whittingham has been recognized as Football Scoop’s National Tight End Coach of the Year. TNT, the nickname for the Utes’ tight end group, has consistently been recognized as one of the best in the country for the past two seasons largely due to the output of Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid.
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 🙌
Congrats, @FWhittinghamJr ‼️ pic.twitter.com/E5CpcQBWeK
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) January 5, 2023
Unfortunately, Kuithe suffered a season-ending during the Arizona State game in September but was proving to be a force up to that point. Kuithe ended his year with 19 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns. There is speculation Kuithe will use his extra Covid-19 year to come back for one more season with the Utes in 2023.
Kincaid also spent much of 2022 banged up, but you’d never know it based off of his numbers. Kincaid’s season ended with 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns. The next stop for Kincaid is the NFL.
Looking At Utah’s 2023 Tight End Room
While Kincaid and Kuithe have been the stars for Whittingham’s tight end room the past two seasons, it is not bare heading into 2023. Assuming Kuithe really is back for a final season there are a few other players worth noting who are up-and-coming.
Thomas Yassmin has had some very standout moments in 2022 filling in for both Kuithe and Kincaid at various times through the season. Yassmin has made it known he is planning on returning for a final season in 2023 and he could have a great opportunity ahead of him to really polish up what he does.
Munir McClain is another player Utah has been high on but has been a bit of a project going from wide receiver to tight end. Redshirt freshman Taniela Pututau and Isaac Vaha have also been in the room for a bit and may be ready for a larger role in 2023.
The Utes have an incoming freshman legacy athlete in CJ Jacobsen who could also be a potential player in 2023.
The first week of February could also prove to be interesting for Utah in the tight end room depending on who truly is coming back and who may opt to leave. If there are any significant changes in that regard, the Utes very well could sign another high school freshman or look to the transfer portal to bolster their room.
Either way, the future still looks bright for a group Whittingham and the Utes have excelled in showcasing the past few seasons.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
