Tight ends saw a spike in production from 2022 to 2023, however their usage was still low overall. 2024 could be the first time in a while where tight ends are a fixture in our passing attack, led by our second Cornell transfer in the past five seasons.

Player Profiles

Sean Clarke – Sean Clarke – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Matt Robbert – Matt Robbert – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Aiden Mack – Aiden Mack – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Alex Smith – Alex Smith – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Ryan Campbell – Ryan Campbell – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Tight End usage in 2023

As expected, tight ends got plenty more snaps for the Spiders in 2023. Billy Cosh played a lot of 10 personnel (1 RB, 0 TEs, 4 WRs) in 2022, with tight ends only getting a total of 450 snaps for the entire season. In 2023, this group saw their snap count more than double, logging 987 snaps across 13 games. Some of that was a lack of receiver depth, but most was us switching to a more typical base 11-personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs).

Of those 987 snaps, nearly 90% of them were taken by Brooks Heagarty and Connor Deveney – neither of which is on the 2024 roster. That leaves a lot of unknowns about this room entering fall camp, but also plenty of opportunities. It’s an interesting position to keep an eye on, because despite only 36 targets the entire year, tight ends recorded six TD receptions and 16 1st downs.

This will likely never be an offense that sees a TE average 6+ receptions and 50+ yards, but keying on them in crucial situations shows they can play a valuable part in this offense. With the Spiders still expected to play plenty of 11-personnel sets, it will be fun to watch and see who takes advantage of the situation in front of them.

Matt Robbert

Tight end isn’t typically a high priority in the transfer portal, however there were some strong options for 2024 and the Spiders quickly landed one of them. Matt Robbert joins Richmond from Cornell, where he played three seasons and earned All-Ivy honors in 2022. He was a reliable weapon for the Big Red each season, averaging over three receptions/game in both 2022 and 2023, while maintaining a career average of nearly 14 yards/reception.

This isn’t the first time UR has added a tight end from Cornell – John Fitzgerald joined the Spiders for the 2020 season (which turned into the 2021 COVID spring season) and turned in a 1st team All-CAA performance, hauling in 14 receptions for 131 yards and a TD in just 4 games.

Robbert will join the Spiders as an excellent pass blocker, and a big option as a receiver. At 6′ 4″ and over 240 pounds, the All-Ivy tight end should turn into a trusty target for the Spider QBs. Richmond TEs averaged less than 2 receptions/game in 2023, so I can see why the staff was quick to sign an established pass catcher like Robbert. A great tight end can really open up the middle of the field for a quarterback, help in pass protection on the edge, and hopefully take some focus away from our deep threats outside. I’m expecting Robbert to make a big splash for the 2024 offense.

Other options

No tight end on the roster besides Robbert is older than a redshirt sophomore, so we’ve only seen limited game action up until this point.

Sean Clarke has the most experience of the group, logging 105 snaps last season. Most of those came in September, and despite only one catch for the year he made it count with a touchdown at Michigan State. Outside of Clarke, Aiden Mack played four snaps last year, Alex Smith redshirted, and Ryan Campbell is a true freshman. Definitely an inexperienced group so I’m curious to see if anyone starts to separate themselves from the pack.

Like so many other things, the winner of the QB battle should impact TE play. Wickersham getting the nod could lead to a few more two tight ends sets, whereas Coleman’s offense likely is centered around one tight end. I don’t think the difference would be too drastic, however I’m confident we’ll enter the season with at least two guys we’re comfortable putting in any situation.

What to expect in 2024

You have to go back to the Danny Rocco days to find a Richmond team that saw tight ends pull in 40+ receptions in a season.

Not much from this position group since 2017, and it feels like the staff saw a chance to revamp how this group is used moving forward. Over his final two seasons at Cornell, Robbert averaged 44 targets, 26 receptions, and just over 350 yards, in only 10 games/season. Combine his production with some input from Clarke and others over a 12-game season, and you’ve got the most productive tight end season in over a decade. With our talent at receiver I doubt we see a tight end finish as a top 3 pass catcher this year, but having that option to help space the field and force the defense to cover all five eligible receivers will be a welcomed sight.

They’ll have their chances to help out in both the run game and pass protection, but a steady focus on tight ends in the passing game could be the biggest surprise to UR fans this upcoming season. Spiders fans have fairly griped about our lack of attention to this group recently, and they may just get their wish this season.

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2024 Position Group Preview: Defensive backs – Friday, August 16th