During the first four seasons of Gophers football under coach P.J. Fleck, tight ends were pass-catching options in name only. Minnesota tight ends caught a combined 18 passes in 2017, then from 2018 through 2020, the yearly production, in order, was six catches, eight catches and seven catches.
By comparison, Penn State All-America tight end Tyler Warren had seven games of seven or more receptions in 2024 alone.
It’s almost as if throwing to the tight end was a trick play during Kirk Ciarrocca’s first three years (2017-19) and Mike Sandford Jr.’s first (2020) as Gophers offensive coordinator.
As personnel changed, so did the tight ends narrative, starting in 2021 when Brevyn Spann-Ford, the 6-7, 270-pound standout who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys, caught 23 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. A year later, the St. Cloud native blew up for 42 receptions for 497 yards and two scores under Ciarrocca. While Spann-Ford’s numbers dipped to 25 catches for 239 yards in Greg Harbaugh Jr.’s first season as Gophers offensive coordinator, tight ends became more of a pass-catching factor in 2024, and that should continue this season.
Personnel, again, is the reason.
Jameson Geers, a 6-5, 250-pounder, improved from two catches for 10 yards and a TD as a sophomore in 2023 to 28 receptions for 290 yards and four TDs last year. He’s developing a connection with quarterback Drake Lindsey and has emerged as a leader in his position group.
Gophers tight end Jameson Geers (86) gains yardage against the Nevada Wolfpack on Sept. 14, 2024. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
“It feels really exciting. We’re going to use a lot of tight ends in the pass and run game this year,” Geers, a Channahon, Ill., native said. “We’ve been evolving as an offense the past couple months. And we’re going to be really involved in all aspects of the offense.”
Geers finished the season strong in 2024, catching TD passes in wins over Illinois and Wisconsin and the 26-25 loss to Penn State. He had an eight-catch game at Rutgers and a four-catch outing at UCLA. He’s on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.