Scarlet Sunrise: Tight end Cade Stover named Mackey Award finalist

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Tight end Cade Stover named Mackey Award finalist

Ohio State two-time captain Cade Stover was recognized as one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the best tight end in college football.

The other two finalists are Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Colorado State’s Dallin Holker.

Stover surpassed his receiving total (406) from 2022 in 11 appearances this season. He’s got 41 catches, 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns to his name. He’s second on the team, behind only wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., in both of those categories.

Stover logged four or more receptions in seven games this season, even hitting the seven-catch mark on two separate occasions. He collected seven grabs for 52 yards at Notre Dame in Week 4 and seven catches for 79 yards and a score — all in the first half — against Michigan State in Week 11.

Stover, who shed close to 10 pounds and ran with the skill players this offseason, has transformed into one of the premier pass-catching tight ends in the sport, hence why he was added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list earlier this season.

“I am super proud of how he’s prepared,” first-year Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey said of Stover in October. “I go back to the offseason and the spring ball and summer and all the work he put in. I’m happy that it’s showing up on Saturdays — that you get to see the dedication that he put in into his craft.

“So the stats will take care of themselves. But we’re going to keep working and see where we’re at at the end of the year.”

Stover’s offseason transformation made him a more efficient receiver. He reeled in 41 of his 51 targets in the regular season, recording a reception percentage of 80.4%. That mark is 6.9% higher than the one he posted last year, and it’s also tied for seventh best among all tight ends with at least 30 targets this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bowers, who missed three games with an ankle injury, is sixth on that list with a reception percentage of 81.0%. He’s Georgia’s leading receiver this year with 51 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns. Then there’s Holker — he’s first among all tight ends in receiving yards (767) and receptions (64) this season.

Stover, of course, is an important part of the Buckeyes’ blocking department, too. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day never forgets to mention that when discussing his veteran tight end.

“He’s a great captain, and he’s a weapon for us,” Day said earlier this season, “both in the run game and in the pass game.”

Buckeyes fall in penultimate College Football Playoff rankings

Just as Ohio State dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the AP Top 25, the Buckeyes also fell four spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

Here’s the top 10:

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Washington
4. Florida State
5. Oregon
6. Ohio State
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Missouri
10. Penn State

Ohio State can still make the CFP, but it’s going to need even more help than it got last year. The Buckeyes likely need Florida State to lose to Louisville in the ACC Championship, Alabama to lose to Georgia in the SEC Championship and Texas to lose to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship and maybe even Oregon to lose to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship.

To get the full CFP rankings, go here.

Tommy Eichenberg named Big Ten Linebacker of the Year

Tommy Eichenberg, a two-time Ohio State captain, earned the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award. He’s the first Ohio State linebacker to receive that honor since the award was formed in 2011.

Eichenberg was also one of three Buckeyes defenders to make first-team All-Big Ten this year.

He had a rough end to the regular season, missing two games with a left arm injury and then struggling at Michigan, but he still finished with at least 80 total tackles for the second year in a row. Eichenberg is the quarterback of a much-improved Ohio State defense that allowed 11.0 points per game in the regular season.

For more details on his league honor, head on over here.

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