How Big Is 'TOO BIG' to Play Tight End In The SEC?

When I was a kid, the tight end position was only beginning to blossom into a pass-catching first role.

Guys like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates were rewriting the record books and morphing what it meant to play tight end in the NFL almost overnight.

Nowadays, we have guys like George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts, and more, who bring that flair of athleticism that is almost a prerequisite for playing the position in 2026.

The position has become so flashy that they even have their own national holiday.

One true freshman tight end at the University of Florida, however, is throwing it back to when tight ends were coveted more for their blocking than their route running ability.

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Meet Heze Kent, a 6'6", 313lb tight end.

And, no, that wasn't a typo, either.

At that size, Kent would be considered a prototypical left tackle in the SEC, but you have to respect a guy who just wants to go out and catch a few passes a game.

In fairness to Kent, he does look pretty fluid in the few practice clips that I've seen of him.

But, as others have pointed out, he might have to make a business decision and move inside a bit to the offensive line, considering what premier left tackles make vs. tight ends when it comes to salary.

There was talk internally within the Florida program even after Kent committed in July of last year that he would be making the move to left tackle, but as far as I can tell, new head coach Jon Sumrall is letting his freshman tight end give it the old college try as a pass catcher.

We have seen freakishly large humans play tight end in the SEC before.

Former Georgia and current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington terrorized defenses in college, winning a couple of national titles with the Dawgs and being named to the All-SEC team his last season before going pro.

Washington is 6'7" and 290lbs, so Kent could easily reach that target with a good offseason conditioning and nutrition plan.

On another note, what is it with the Gators and rostering mammoth-sized human beings?

We all remember Big Des Watson, the 440lb nose tackle/aspiring running back.

Between Kent and Watson, Florida may end up having two of the largest athletes to ever play their respective positions in the SEC when it's all said and done.

I'm not sure what they are putting in the Gatorade in Gainesville these days, but it gives guys like me stuff to write about, so I can't complain.