Louisiana Tech Fall Camp Position Preview: Tight Ends

RUSTON – Head coach Sonny Cumbie and the Louisiana Tech Coaching Staff are excited about the potential and versatility of the Bulldogs’ tight ends in 2023.

“I am very excited about our tight ends position,” head coach Sonny Cumbie said. “Nate Jones comes back, and he has added some speed and strength. People forget Nate got here in June of last year. So only being here for two months before camp and getting as much run as he did last year, he earned it. He grew and evolved and became an integral part of our offense. I think Ryan Rivera has a chance to do that as well. He will help us become more versatile on offense with our personnel packages. John Locke has taken this offseason very seriously. He has added a lot of weight. He will continue to develop and help us on offense and special teams. Eli Finley is a Freshman from Rockwall-Heath High School (Texas). He provides a good frame and is going to give us some physicality. I am excited about the tight end position room.”

Tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Scott Parr believes that the tight ends’ growth mindset has helped them stay on pace this fall.

“We have had some good days as a group,” Parr said. “Both Ryan (Rivera) and Nate (Jones) have improved since last spring. Our room has been working with growth mindsets. We are on pace, but we also have a long way to go to where we want to be.”

Jones (6-3, 220) returns after breaking onto the scene as a sophomore. Despite transferring from Trinity Valley Community College just before the start of fall practice in 2022, Jones earned significant playing time, tallying 16 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown. Jones credits former Bulldog and current Seattle Seahawk Griffin Hebert with getting him accustomed to the offense last year as a late transfer.

“I learned a lot from the route standpoint of the position, and learning our offensive system was great to learn from him,” Jones said. “Griffin taught me a lot.”

Jones is pleased with how he and the tight ends have worked so far in fall camp.

“Camp has been great so far,” Jones said. “We have a great atmosphere out here, and everyone is pushing each right now. We are a very competitive group.”

Rivera arrives in Ruston after a five-year career at Cal Poly. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound tight end plays with physicality and is expected to contribute to the Bulldog offense immediately. Rivera appeared in 35 games with 21 starts as a Mustang, totaling 12 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Rivera earned second-team All-Big Sky Honors in 2021.

The Bulldogs have considerably more depth in the tight ends room entering the 2023 season than a year ago. John Locke (6-4, 251) returns after seeing significant action on special teams as a true freshman. In addition to incoming freshmen Eli Finley (6-5, 245) and Collin Franta (6-6, 219).

The added depth and versatility allow for more capability to insert players in packages that best suit their skills while countering what opposing defenses are showing.

“We are an offense that can hopefully take what the defense gives us,” Parr said. “That is what we strive to be. In our playbook, there are enough all-purpose plays that we can do, and it is just a matter of us doing our jobs as coaches and putting them in position to make those plays. It is also up to the players to do their job and become versatile enough to do what we ask them to do.”

With all five tight ends 6-foot-3 and above, Cumbie believes the group can use their size to their advantage while providing more comfort for the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks.

“With big targets, you always have that comfortability has a quarterback because, with a defender on their back, they are still going to be open,” Cumbie said. “Size sometimes beats coverage as long as the ball is where it is needed to be.”

The Bulldog tight ends will continue to attack each day with a growth mindset as they prepare for their week zero Conference USA showdown with FIU on Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. inside Joe Alliet Stadium when Louisiana Tech opens its 120th season of collegiate football.

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