2026 Kentucky Wildcats football position preview: Tight End

The energy is palpable as the Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up for the 2026 season with a new era. Will Stein and his staff have overhauled the roster and bring a much different philosophy to the Wildcats than the previous regime. It cannot be overstated exactly how much different this team will look in the fall. Going position by position and seeing how each group is projected to fill out on the depth chart, we now turn our focus to one of the strengths: tight ends.

Starter: Willie Rodriguez

Willie Rodriguez was one of the biggest priorities to maintain on this roster for Stein and his staff. Rodriguez is a do-it-all tight end who plays with a ton of effort, he can block and become a legitimate threat in the passing game. If you take a look at Stein's offenses at Oregon, he has always got the tight ends involved. Kenyon Sadiq was just a first round draft pick, and there is a good chance Jamari Johnson will be drafted highly in the 2027 draft class.

When you watch Oregon last season, you will notice Sadiq and Johnson both used in multiple ways. They will line up inline, in the slot as a receiver and even on the outside in some cases. Stein likes to create mismatches with his tight ends, putting them in favorable matchups to win downfield routes. Not only that, you will also see the tight ends catching screen passes from multiple looks.

Sadiq and Johnson were among Oregon's top five leading receivers a year ago, as both eclipsed 500 yards on the season. Rodriguez is a traditional Y tight end that will be on the field for a majority of the snaps this fall. Kentucky has quality depth in this tight end room, however, I don't know if they have a guy that will have the production like Johnson did for the Ducks in 2025. This is the main reason I expect Rodriguez to be an All-SEC candidate this season.

Backups

• Mikkel Skinner
• Henry Boyer