Date: 8/18
Position: Tight Ends
Position Coach: Chase Smith
Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Maaseiah Francis (13 GP, 18 rec. 261 yds, 14.5 avg, 2 TDs, 201.1 ypg); Collier Smith (13 GP)
Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Gerald Everett (13 GP, 49 rec., 717 yds, 55.2 ypg, 14.6 avg, 4 TDs); James Bynes (10 GP, 3 rec., 23 yds, 7.7 avg, 1 TD); Grant Powell (12 GP, 3 rec., 44 yds, 14.7 avg, 1 TD); Easton Marshall (13 GP)
Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Andrew Reinkemeyer (R-Jr., Butler [Kan.] CC); Zac Crosby (R-Fr., The Bolles School); Khameron Taylor (R-Fr., Santa Fe HS)
Miscellaneous Notes
-Last season, Gerald Everett ended his Jaguar career in the program's top five in touchdown catches (12, third), 100-yard receiving games (3, third), total touchdowns (16, fifth), receptions (90, fifth), yards receiving (1,292, fifth) and yards per reception (14.36, fifth).
-Everett — a two-time first-team all-Sun Belt selection— became the first South Alabama football player to be drafted by the National Football League in April as he was selected with the 44th pick in the second round.
-Francis is the leading returning receiver as he had 18 receptions for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
-Francis' best outing came at Idaho where he had seven receptions for 146 yards, which ranks as the fifth-most receiving yards in a game and the second highest tally by a Jag tight end. Francis also had a 75-yard touchdown catch against the Vandals.
-Michael Cole was also a member of the Jaguar roster during the 2016 season. Taylor was moved to the tight end position at the beginning of fall camp after working on the offensive line last season.
-Reinkemeyer earned second-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American as a redshirt freshman at Butler (Kan.) CC, earning first-team all-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference and all-region honors that fall.
-Three former Jaguar tight ends are currently in NFL training camps — Wes Saxton is entering his third season in the league and his first with the Buffalo Bills, Braedon Bowman recently signed with the New Orleans Saints and Everett is with the Los Angeles Rams.
Chase Smith
-On replacing a player like Gerald Everett: "Obviously, Gerald was a special player. Physically, what he brought was special, but he also brought something special from a mental and leadership standpoint because of his experience. We have to build off of that and have guys step up. Naturally, that role needs to be filled by guys like Maasieah [Francis] and [Andrew] Reinkemeyer; they have to see the opportunity to step up and fill that role in their work ethic, preparation and leadership for the younger guys."
-On expectations of Massieah Francis: "The expectations for Maasieah are very high because his ability level is very high. We talk about setting a standard and that has to be through the roof for him. His biggest thing is going to be in the work ethic and mentality that he provides every day. I talk with him about being a craftsman at his trade. His trade is being the best player physically and mentally that he can be on the field. We have to have him creating results on the field and provide that leadership; he has to be able to do it all."
-On the versatility of the group in the offense: "Our tight ends have to be able to come out and make plays in space, be athletic and be a big receiver type player. Then you have to also be able to come inside the box, play on the line and dig those defensive ends out. You have to be able to play second-level and be physical with the linebackers, while also knowing all the different formations, what we're expecting out of you and your point of attack. You have to know it and know it well in order to be efficient."
-On how this position has been very successful recently reaching the NFL: "I think that is a great tradition that we've established here.by coach [Bryant] Vincent, coach [Richard] Owens, myself and everybody else who has been involved with that. The dynamic and specialty that we ask our tight ends to do out on the field prepares them for the next level, because that is what they are asked to do at the NFL level. When you utilize those skills and show that you are able to split out like a receiver and block in the run game, along with the ability to command all the other things we ask them to do at the position, that's going to carry over."
Maaseiah Francis
-On what he learned last season after playing behind a player like Gerald Everett: "I learned a lot, the ins and outs of the offense; Gerald just taught me a lot of different things such as technique, reading the defensive fronts and coverages."
-On being looked as the player to replace Everett's production and handling that pressure: "I don't really focus on that or feel that pressure, I just want to go out there and help my team anyway that I can and play my role."
-On where he's made the most improvement during the offseason: "I would say it's probably my hands; every day after our summer workouts I was on the jugs machine catching anywhere from 50 to 100 balls."
-On his expectations of every one at the tight end position group this season: "We have guys like [Andrew] Reinkemeyer and Zac [Crosby] who fit in well with our offense and have good size. We're just working to get better each day. We have a good balance between our blocking and catching abilities at tight end with myself and those other guys. Collier [Smith] is also really coming along at the position. I feel we will be pretty good this season at our position."
Andrew Reinkemeyer
-On what he learned last season while redshirting and working with the scout team: "Last year kind of just humbled me; it made me focus on preparation and keeping my body healthy. Coming off the injury that I had, it was hard to get back, because that was my first major injury."
-On role of the tight ends in the running game: "Our role in the running game is huge. We are the ones who help set the edge or protect the back side. If we don't do our job right just like the rest of the offensive line, we won't be successful."
-On his expectations heading into the season: "I want to be consistent and the guy my teammates and coaches can rely on. I want to make every play that's called for me. I just want to be out there helping this team win. It's not about me; I just want to do my part to help our team to be successful."
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