CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah Thunderbirds' tight end room in 2025 offers a blend of size, versatility, and untapped potential. With a mix of veteran experience, junior college standouts, and promising young talent, this group may be the position that T-Bird fans know the least about entering the season.
Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald Said
"We've got a tight end room that could be as versatile as any I've coached. These guys can block, they can catch, and they're smart football players. We've got some young guys who are eager to prove themselves. I expect them to be a big part of what we do offensively this season."
Veteran Presence & Steady Hands
Senior Hayden Erickson enters his final year of eligibility in Cedar City after starting seven games for South Dakota in 2024. The Lehi, Utah, product brings physicality and blocking ability. While his receiving opportunities have been limited in past stops at Utah and USD, his 38-yard grab last season proved he can be a big-play threat when called upon.
JUCO Production & Playmaking Ability
Joey Garza and Connor May arrive with proven production at the junior college level. Garza, a 6-3, 255-pound junior from Nipomo, California, showed flashes at Allan Hancock College with a pair of touchdowns over two seasons before transferring to McNeese State in 2024. May, meanwhile, comes off an All-SCFA campaign at Mt. San Antonio, where he hauled in 10 catches for 72 yards and showed grit as a blocker.
Youth with High Ceilings
The future is bright with redshirt freshman Mason Thueson, a 6-6 matchup nightmare from Roy, Utah, who excelled as a multi-sport athlete in high school, and redshirt freshman Hayden George, a three-star prospect out of Lebanon, Oregon. George brings a proven scoring touch after amassing over 1,000 career high school receiving yards and more than 20 touchdowns in his high school career.
Outlook
This year's tight end corps is big, physical, and diverse in skill set. Whether it's sealing the edge in the run game, providing a safety valve over the middle, or creating mismatches in the red zone, expect this unit to quietly play a pivotal role in the Thunderbirds' offensive success in 2025.
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