Koyack is down to a Final Two schools, ND and OSU. Neither have a current track record with throwing to the TE for him to guage his future at either school. It would be prudent for him to see how the season play out at both schools.
OSU threw something like 16 passes to the TEs last season. That wasn't unusual that was fairly typical. In '08 Ballard caught 13 passes for 150 yds. In '09 as a senior he had 14 catches for - 150 yds. In '09 Stoneburner as a redshirt freshman caught 2 passes for 30 yds.
I went to a OSU site to read how their TEs were used and learned that poor Coach Tressel has told Koyack he plans to use the TEs more. He wanted to use the TEs more in the past (other than as the third tackle on the LOS but his TEs lacked the talent to be effective pass catchers. Sounds reasonable until I checked Rivals past recruiting classes going back to '05.
In '09 OSU signed Fragel a 3 star #11 TE (not too shabby #11) he had no catches (I'm not sure he played). IN '8 They got DiLilo a 3 Star #28 TE (granted not top talent but he probably would have equated to anything Kelly had at UC but I digress). OSU got another TE in '08 Stoneburner a 4 Star TE who was ranked #3 TE by Rivals, - TOP TALENT. In '07 no TEs. In '06 Ballard was a 4 Star, #8 TE. In '04 OSU got a PAIR of 4 Star TEs the #3 ranked guy, Hoobler, and a second 4 Star, the #4 ranked TE, Nicol.
All those TEs were recruited and signed by Tressel. They have caught more balls had they been playing in Coach Holtz's triple option.
Stoneburner who was the #3 ranked TE in his class (the same class as ND's Rudolph) caught only 2 balls as a REDSHIRT Freshman. Two years ago he caught 74 balls fir 1271 yds and 15 TDs. He caught 63 as a HS Jr and 33 as a soph. In 3 years of HS ball Stoneburner caught 170 passes fro 2,779 yds and 25 TDs. Two years later he has a career total at OSU of 2 receptions for 30 yards.
By comparison Rudolph in two years has 62 receptions for 704 yds and 5 TDs and he missed 3 games with a broken bone.
One advantage to going to OSU is they don't have a lot of bodies or proven pass catchers ahead of him.
ND has a a recent history with Fasano, Carlson, and Rudolph as prime time TEs and has a trophy case full of the accomplishments of Hart, MacAfee, Bavaro, Brown, Smith, et al but those were in the past. Even Rudolph's 62 career grabs are passe. Weis isn't here anymore.
What will the new offense do with the TE? Same as Weis? More active? Line up in the slot?
Will Koyack see what he needs to know on Saturday? If he going to make an informed decision he really needs to see the season play out, doesn't he?
If Koyack was to make a commitment now he'd have to do based upon Kelly's UC offense with greatly inferior talent to what Tressel has had for the past 9 seasons at OSU. In '07 Barwin had 31 receptions for 399 yds. In '08 Guidugli caught 18 balls fro 229 yds. In '09 Guidugli had 27 receptions for 364 yds while Alli caught 12 balls for 156 yds and Robinson caught 10 balls for 171 yds for an '09 total of 49 TE receptions for and almost 700 yds.
Looking at their Rivals Rankings Barwin, Guidugli, Alli, and Robinson were all 2 Star UNRANKED TEs when they signed with Kelly and UC. Ben Guidugli was 6-1, 207 far from the Stoneburner's 6-6 235 .
One can only imagine what Kelly can do with 4 and 5 Star TEs and ones 5 inches taller than he's worked with.
