Spring Football Breakdown: App State TEs

BOONE, N.C. — During spring practice, we're taking a closer look at App State's position groups with input from the Mountaineers' position coaches, many of whom are new to the program and the High Country.

Spring workouts began in mid-February and ended in early March, as they were nearing the conclusion before the final week was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Breakdown: App State's TEs
 
Justin Watts, who arrived in Boone as an App State assistant in 2015, will be coaching the Mountaineers' tight ends for the second straight year.
 
Collin Reed was a fifth-year senior on the record-breaking team in 2019, but App State has a pair of veteran returners with starting experience in junior Henry Pearson and senior Mike Evans.
 
"It's a fun group," Watts said. "We meet about 15 minutes early most days because we're down there talking about everything but football. I enjoy being around those guys and having them over to the house. They understand what their role is on this team and enjoy working hard and looking forward to improving each day, which makes it fun to coach."
 
Pearson started 11 games in his first two seasons and has two touchdowns among his 22 receptions. Evans started at Louisiana last year in his first season of competition for the Mountaineers and had a 20-yard touchdown catch at Troy erased by a pre-snap penalty.
 
Redshirt sophomores Trey Ross, who appeared in all 14 games last season with regular contributions on special teams, and Miller Gibbs, who has played in 10 career games, also have enhanced the depth at that position.
 
"Right now, we're trying to work on fundamentals," Watts said. "With Trey Ross and Miller Gibbs, we're trying to get those guys caught up schematically and fundamentally. These guys have been in the system long enough that they understand what we want and the effort we need to play with."
 
Blocking will always be an important role for tight ends at App State, which again had one of the nation's top-25 rushing offenses in 2019. There could be more opportunities in the passing game in 2020 as the Mountaineers return senior quarterback Zac Thomas along with four senior receivers of note.
 
"Hopefully they can be first-down guys for us that move the chains," Watts said, "and the No. 1 job is always going to be setting the edge in the run game and being able to lead up on linebackers and play with physicality."