Mark Stoops raves about what makes Jordan Dingle stand out

Kentucky football is loaded at tight end. A position where there’s normally plenty of talent under Mark Stoops, but just hasn’t been utilized as much as the team would like to. Well, heading into 2022, Stoops is out of excuses for not targeting his tight ends.

The ‘Cats have three options at tight end who could be the lead receiver at the position. Keaton Upshaw who NFL scouts were curious about with his 6-foot-7 frame and mobility at that size before he was wiped out all of last season by a torn pectoral. They also have Izayah Cummings, who transitioned to tight end from receiver before last season and wound up third on the team in receiving yards. Lastly, there’s Jordan Dingle, a versatile piece who can line up at fullback, receiver or tight end.

Mark Stoops was particularly excited for Dingle after Kentucky’s final preseason scrimmage. When asked about the sophomore as a “Swiss army knife,” here’s how Stoops responded:

*You can watch comments here or read them in full below*

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the On3 YouTube channel today for all of the latest news on college football, recruiting, NIL, more!

Stoops on Jordan Dingle, UK tight ends

“He had another good day today, he really did. He had a couple nice grabs out there. He’s just a good, complete tight end, you know. He’s got a good feel for it, he’s got a big catch radius, he makes competitive catches. So, he’s done a lot of good things.

Stoops then continued, explaining why he likes such a balance of skillsets in his tight end room.

“Well I think it’s very important to be complete. I feel like that’s not saying anything negative about the other guys. Because I really feel good. They have their moments through the week in practice. Certain guys have bigger days than others. And, as a group, they had another big week in this scrimmage. Last weekend and this week they had quite a few catches.”

Tight ends often get a lot of talk ahead of the season for the ‘Cats. But rarely does their production exceed their hype. In 2022, with the wide receiver spot replenishing and counting on a few true freshmen to step up, the tight ends, with all their talent and experience, could become Will Levis’ friendliest target.

Huge year for TEs coach Vince Marrow and the whole group. With Cummings and Upshaw, Kentucky has some very possible future pros. Then there’s also the younger Dingle, who can fit in wherever need be. Exciting few months of football ahead for these fellas.