Small School Tight Ends
by Jim Schmatz
By Matt Feminis and Josh Buchanan (D2 Football)
Joseph Tuineau (6-8 280), Southeast Missouri State (I-AA)
Tuineau is a tight end/tackle tweener who will get graded by some teams as both. He has had an up and down career. He redshirted in 2003, then caught nine passes in 2004. His 2005 campaign was his breakout season in which he caught 25 balls for 305 yards, earning second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors. In 2006, SEMO had two senior tight ends, and since Tuineau was inexperienced, the coaching staff held him back to learn from the seniors. He still managed to catch six passes as the third-string tight end. Born in Fiji, Joseph moved to New Zealand at the age of eight where he played rugby. He is very raw, but has the talent to start in the NFL after three to four years of coaching. This year he finished second on the team with 21 catches for 334 yards and one touchdown. He received a Combine invite, and could see his stock rise. Tuineau has the talent to warrant a late round pick, and could go as high as the late fifth or early sixth round.
Kolo Kapanui (6-5 255), West Texas A&M (Division II)
Kapanui has taken a circuitous path to the NFL radar screen. Already 23, the Hawaiian-born tight end was a member of Southern Cal’s 2001 recruiting class (with the likes of Matt Leinart and Mike Patterson), but a hip injury, the school’s academic work load, and lack of playing time prompted him to return to Hawaii where he worked construction and surfed before landing in Texas. The natural talents that attracted Pete Carroll came to the fore at A&M. After an injury-plagued junior season, Kapanui became an All-American this season, scoring seven touchdowns on 39 receptions. He has good hands and speed, and makes plays after the catch. He played in the Hula Bowl, and could figure into the Draft as a late-round project-type with upside.
Mike Peterson (6-3 250), Northwest Missouri State (Division II)
Projected as an H-back at the next level, Peterson is another atypical small school prospect. He was all-state in football, baseball, and track as an Iowa prep, but graduated in 2001. After a year of JUCO baseball and a brief stint in the lumber field, he missed football and sought out NMSU. He will turn 26 during next year’s football season. A 2006 All-American, Peterson scored 17 career touchdowns, and averaged 14 yards per reception. Listed at 6-3 250 pounds, he will have to time well–especially if he’s only 6-foot-2–but he’s a reported sub-4.7 at worst. He releases well and plays fast. Peterson finds the soft spots in zone coverage, and is a reliable pass catcher. He’s an effective backside blocker, but his strength is shielding. He is not a blocking tight end. Lacks lower-body strength and the bubble to anchor at the point of attack, and doesn’t drive block. Peterson is an athletic, pass-catching H-back/tight end who figures to test well, and could sneak into the later rounds.
Louis Irizarry (6-5 255), Youngstown State (I-AA)
Another former Division I commit, Irizarry’s past isn’t just circuitous, but worrisome. A prep All-American, Irizarry was one of the most highly sought after tight end prospects in class of 2003. He committed to Ohio State, spurning a bevy of other suitors, including Florida and Miami. In 2003, Irizarry played in seven games for OSU, but was suspended for the duration of the regular season after being charged for assault in a dorm fight. He received probation, and played in the Fiesta Bowl, but got into more trouble in the spring of 2004 when his Buckeye career came to a halt. Irizarry violated his probation when he was arrested and charged with felony robbery after assaulting a student and stealing his wallet. In October, Irizarry pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in jail (he served nearly six months). After missing 2004, he enrolled at Youngstown and redshirted in 2005. As a junior in 2006, Irizarry caught 25 balls for 304 yards and two touchdowns, but a broken hand limited him seven games in which he had 17 receptions and a touchdown. In summation, Irizarry’s physical ability will get him an opportunity. Whether that’s as a draft pick or a free agent is up to NFL decision makers, but he’ll be on a short leash. Off-field issues aside, Irizarry has the size, speed, and hands to play at the next level.
Other notables: Matt Sherry (Villanova); Drew Atchison (William & Mary); Chris Wagner (South Dakota State); Matthew Mulligan (Maine)