re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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When people think of basketball players playing football, they think tight end. More specifically, they think of receiving tight ends.

Hale Hentges is a pretty good basketball player so everyone’s first thought for someone his size would be for him to be a good receiving tight end. And he is. But he’s also a lot more than that. The Helias High product is a complete tight end that can do everything that is asked of him.

Height: 6’4?

Weight: 230

Athletic ability/measurables

Hentges has the size and frame that projects perfectly for an in-line tight end. There shouldn’t be an issue with him adding weight once he gets to college. He has deceptive speed and is a good athlete.

Skills/technique

As a receiver, Hentges is a tough matchup for any team to try and cover. He’s athletic enough to beat linebackers up the seam and is too big for defensive backs to handle if lined up out wide. He has very natural hands and always catches the ball away from his body. Does a great job of shielding defenders and can go up and get jump balls over smaller players. He’s capable of making the spectacular catch.

Most players with his receiving skills do not have the blocking acumen to match, but that is not the case with Hentges. He is a tenacious blocker that gets underneath a defender and will drive him to the ground. There is a nastiness to how he blocks that is rare in this day and age of hybrid tight ends. He flashes the ability to be a dominant run blocker both in-line or lined up outside.

Scheme fit

Hentges is scheme versatile, but is too good of a run blocker to not be utilized as an in-line tight end by whatever school he ultimately chooses.

Potential

There may be other tight end recruits in this class with greater athleticism, but no one is the complete football player that Hentges is. He has the chance to play very early and start for multiple years. I would not be shocked if he ended up being the best tight end coming out of this recruiting class.

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