BYU is back in the business of using and producing tight ends in its offense and one of the best to ever play in Provo thinks it’s about time.
“I think it will be awesome. To me, the most important part (to an offense) is to have a variety of ways you can attack the defense,” former Cougar Jonny Harline told the “Y’s Guys” podcast this week. “A tight end is a great pressure release for the quarterback. You have a large target that is generally close to you. To me, it always seemed like an easy throw and gives a safety (outlet) to the quarterback.”
Harline savored his seasons as John Beck’s favorite target. He peaked his senior year (2006) with 58 receptions for 935 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last year, even as BYU rolled to an 11-2 record and No. 13 national ranking, their three tight ends combined for 31 catches and four touchdowns.
In a busy offseason, Kalani Sitake went to work to fix that. Most notably, the Cougars signed former Ute Carsen Ryan from the transfer portal. After a productive spring, Ryan is expected to carry the bulk of the load at tight end this fall.
Then Monday happened.
When 6-foot-6, 238-pound Brock Harris picked up the BYU baseball cap during his national announcement, he did more than leave the other hats belonging to Georgia, Michigan and Oregon on the table — he made history.
Ranked No. 33 on ESPN’s Top 300 for the 2026 recruiting class and the No. 2 overall tight end by 247sports.com, Harris became BYU’s third highest-rated commit in the modern history of recruiting rankings and the top tight end.
Last week, the Cougars picked up a commitment from another highly touted tight end in Colorado. Ty Goettsche, a 6-7, 225-pound product, chose BYU over offers from Penn State, Auburn and ...
