Expectations are extremely high for Willie Rodriguez. Mikkel Skinner is consistently talked about as a potential X-factor. Tight end usage is expected to increase for Kentucky football under head coach Will Stein and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. Yet, there is one tight end on the roster that is consistently slept on.
Henry Boyer is back for year two in Lexington after joining the roster last winter. The former Illinois transfer has the attention of the new coaching staff at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. Boyer will be a big part of the offense this fall.
“Henry Boyer has just been — he’s been awesome, man, since we’ve been here. I know he played some last year, but I really think his role has just really expanded and I think he seized it. And he’s just tough,” Sloan said on Saturday. “He’s out there all the time and he’s a big man now. I mean — 265, 268 pounds running around every day, all day, and it’s not like he’s just going in and playing on the end of the line. He’s doing a lot of different things.
“He’s doing a great job and that’s I think somebody who’s going to play a really good role for us.”
The former Big Ten transfer and Chicago native played 240 snaps for Kentucky last season and was retained by the new staff. Boyer is a big and physical in-line tight end who will provide blocking value for the offense. The veteran is expected to receive a lot of snaps this season. The coaching staffed raved about the Midwest native throughout spring practice. That praise has continued through fall camp.
Rodriguez is going to be featured in this offense and should receive a ton of touches in the passing game. Skinner is a unique talent that Kentucky could use as a hybrid wide receiver/tight end. That doesn’t mean that Boyer will get lost in the shuffle. UK could use a heavy dose of 12 and 13 personnel this fall. That means more tight end snaps will be needed. Boyer will help fill that role and could become a valuable asset in this new offense. This veteran has a lot of fans inside the program.
“I think Henry’s been awesome,” said Sloan.