2024 Kentucky Position Previews: Tight End

Kentucky’s fall camp is right around the corner. Before the Cats officially begin the 2024 season, KSR is taking a closer look at the roster and analyzing each position group. Personnel, storylines, questions, and one bold prediction will be included.

Tight end is up next. Kentucky has experience, class balance, and impressive potential.

Position Preview: Quarterback | Flipped QB room has unknown ceiling but should provide safe floor for offense (KSR+ column)

Postion Preview: Running Back | Kentucky has earned benefit of the doubt at tailback but there is much to prove (KSR+ column)

Position Preview: Wide Receiver | Wide receiver play will determine Kentucky’s offensive ceiling (KSR+ column)

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Expected Starters

Jordan Dingle (6-4, 242, RJr.)

The Bowling Green (Ky.) High product is now in year four at Kentucky after spending some time in the transfer portal in December. Dingle has played 841 offensive snaps during his career with 34 receptions for 544 yards and three touchdowns. The tight end has produced 17 explosive receptions in 52 targets over the last two seasons. Blocking needs to improve, but Dingle has proven to be a productive option when targeted.

Josh Kattus (6-4, 246, Jr.)

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller product has played in 22 games through two seasons recording 15 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns. Kattus brings great value as a blocker and is an underrated receiver with good hands, but penalties (8 in 322 snaps) last season were a problem. If those do not get cleaned up it could be difficult to keep him on the field. Expect the junior to have a big role in the run game as Bush Hamdan can use Kattus as an off-ball tight end to be used in a variety of alignments, serving as a lead blocker on gap run designs.

Kentucky’s Tight End Room

Khamari Anderson (6-5, 252, So.)

The former four-star prospect who Kentucky flipped from Cincinnati played sparingly throughout the season but got an opportunity against Louisville to end the season and performed well. The Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech product enters the season as TE3 but has a chance to steal snaps due to his high ceiling as a prospect.

Tanner Lemaster (6-5, 250, RFr.)

The Ohio native took a redshirt season in year one and now enters year two on campus. Lemaster is a true in-line Y tight end and will need to show value as a blocker to find a role in the offense.

Willie Rodriguez (6-4, 245, Fr.)

The Covington (Ky.) Catholic was recruited hard by Auburn and Tennessee as the 2024 cycle winded down but ultimately signed with Kentucky. Long-limbed prospect flashed play strength and surprisingly good movement ability on high school tape. Large catch radius with good ball skills. Might not have a role in year one but projects as a potential multi-year starter.

Big Question (1): How are snaps distributed?

Willie Rodriguez is an impressive-looking young player, but the true freshman will have a hard time finding a role this season. Kentucky has a clear top-three at tight end. The toughest challenge for Bush Hamdan and Vince Marrow will be to distributing snaps.

How will Kentucky split snaps between Jordan Dingle, Josh Kattus, and Khamari Anderson? These are all three starting-caliber players with expectations. The offense’s usage of the position will be vital.

How often will Hamdan roll with 12 personnel? That is a personnel grouping that likely needs to be part of each week’s package to get Kentucky’s best players on the field. The play-caller has a good track record of utilizing the position. Hunter Bryant ranked second on Washington’s 2019 team in targets (80), and receptions (52), and led the team in receiving yards (825). Last year at Boise State, tight ends Matt Lauter (621) and Riley Smith (440) combined to play over 1,000 snaps. There should be opportunities for Kentucky’s top three tight ends.

What does the pecking order at the position look like? That is something we likely will not figure out until Week 3 or Week 4.

Big Question (2): How involved will this group be in the passing game?

I’m not sure any fan base in college football loves the tight end position more than Kentucky. A popular preseason question, no matter the coach, play-caller, or personnel, will always be if the Wildcats are going to throw the football to the tight end.

In 2023, the position received less than 50 targets despite Josh Kattus owning a 53.3 percent receiving success rate and Jordan Dingle producing a 38.1 percent explosive reception rate in small sample sizes. Bush Hamdan has shown a willingness to throw the football to the tight end position, but Riley Smith and Matt Lauter combined for only 29 targets last season.

We are unsure how heavy the volume will be for the tight end unit in the passing game.

Top Storyline: Keeping everyone involved

Jordan Dingle, Josh Kattus, and Khamari Anderson all are quality SEC football players. Dingle almost left the Kentucky football program before deciding to return for another season. That return likely forced Izayah Cummings out the door. The senior will play his final season at Louisville this fall.

Kentucky has built a quality room, but that can change quickly in the transfer portal era. Each of Kentucky’s top three players own multiple years of eligibility remaining. Getting everyone involved is important.

Monitoring playing time with this position will be something we will all pay close attention to as the season progresses. Tight end is a position that hardly ever stays healthy throughout a full season, so more frequent playing time opportunities for Anderson and perhaps even Willie Rodriguez will arrive at some point. That could be a way that Kentucky keeps everyone involved.

Tight end is a position of strength for the program entering the year. Kentucky would like for it to stay that way, but there are a lot of mouths to feed this season.

Bold Prediction: Josh Kattus leads the tight end position in snaps

Khamari Anderson looks like the best prospect in the room. Jordan Dingle is the best receiver in the room. Josh Kattus probably brings the most value to the table in 2024. That will lead to a big role for the junior.

The former three-star recruit needs to play cleaner football, but his blocking value is real, and that will get him on the field. Expect Kentucky to use Kattus as an off-ball H-back and that will give the third-year player a big role as a lead blocker. Kattus’ good hands also make him a quality receiving threat in the red zone.

Kentucky is committed to getting the ground game rolling again in 2024. Josh Kattus is the best blocker in the tight end room. That means he will lead that group in snaps played.