Going into fall camp, one of Cal football’s strongest positions in terms of depth is tight end. Led by Jake Tonges, there is experienced, proven talent at the top of the depth chart, and promising younger players at the bottom.
“At the top end of the tight end room, there are three veterans, seniors. That is great to have a veteran crew,” new tight ends coach Geep Chryst said in a telephone interview. “They know the school, they know the offense, they know each other. They are really good guys to begin with.”
Obviously, not every tight end on the roster is equally proficient at every aspect of the position. Some are better blockers, others more adept at catching passes. Chryst is trying to build versatility in the group.
“Every tight end is working to play all three downs,” Chryst said. “You don’t want to be labeled a blocking tight, heaven forbid, or they are going to move you to right tackle.
“You don’t want to be labeled a receiving tight end because you’re considered a finesse player. We work on that with them and we feel the guys who are natural receivers have gotten better at blocking.”
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Gavin Reinwald goes airborne
Eight tight ends might seem to be a roster overload if the Bears used the traditional formations and played one tight end at a time. But in offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s schemes, two or even three from the tight end room can be on the field simultaneously.
Here is a look at each of the tight ends with comments from Chryst, alpabetically:
Nick Alftin, 6-5, 250, Redshirt-Jr
“He did some time on defense, but he had a really impressive spring. Big, strong, inline blocker who likes contact. He gives great energy on every snap. You can tell by his progression through spring he has really found a home.”
Keleki Latu, 6-6, 215, Fr.
“He has more of a basketball-style build. Has to work on his in-line blocking traits. He’s a natural receiver.”
Elijah Mojarro, 6-4, 250 Redshirt-Soph
“We love his nickname, ‘Mojo’. He has done a nice job. He is a smooth receiver that we are trying to improve as a blocker.”
Collin Moore, 6-4, 250 Redshirt-Sr.
“He has so much maturity and love of football that it permeates the rest of the ranks. He is a 4.0 student in public health. He came in as a walk-on quarterback and found a home at tight end. He kind of sets the tone for the room.”
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Collin Moore
Jake Muller, 6-5, 240, Soph.
“Good basketball player, good athlete. Slightly undersized. I think he has put on more weight in the upper body, and we have to put that weight into power. We are excited to see where Jake is going to be. He is working to make sure the added weight does not impact his speed or quickness off the line.”
Gavin Reinwald, 6-3, 245, Redshirt-Sr.
“Savvy guy, who has played a lot of football here. Position versatility and confidence from having played so much ball. He will have a lot of visibility and will make a lot of plays for us in the red zone, using his skills as a receiver. He can be complementary tight end while others are on the line or wide.”
Jermaine Terry, 6-4, 270, Fr.
“Heavily-recruited from the East Bay here. We are really happy he’s here. He’s a traditional tight end with his size and he’s got great strength at the point of attack. He could not play his senior year because of Covid so he took the opportunity to enroll early in school. Made a lot of strides in spring practice. He did have an injury in the spring game, but it is nothing major and he's full-go.”
Jake Tonges 6-5, 240, Redshirt Sr. Sr.
“One of the top tight ends in the Pac-12. He came as a walk-on and has really been productive. I thought his big play down at Ole Miss helped Cal win an SEC road game. He has been as confident and relaxed a player as I have been around. We have high aspirations and goals for him. He is on the Mackey Award Watch List. There are a lot of upper-class tight ends, and we have to convert those expectations. No one has higher goals than Jake himself. He had a really good spring.”
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