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MOBILE, Ala. — CJ Dippre knew the kind of tight end Alabama football expected him to be.
The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Maryland transfer was expected to “do it all,” he said: to run and pass block in what he called a two-tight end “big-duo scheme” next to first-round offensive tackles, to be a target in the passing game.
Dippre needed to know everything.
“You got to be close to the linemen, close to the receivers, close to the running backs,” Dippre said. “I mean, it’s kind of the next thing down from the quarterback. A quarterback has to know where the ball has to go and stuff like that. But the tight end has to know all the run plays, all the pass plays, run block, pass block, perimeter block, run routes, obviously.”
Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end CJ Dippre (81) and tight end Robbie Ouzts (45) celebrate after a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Alabama’s version of the tight end position is what makes Dippre an NFL prospect, which he’s attempting to showcase at the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile ahead of April’s NFL draft.
Tight end is a volatile position, Dippre says, one that is in constant change, one that is in consistent demand at the next level.
“It’s moving forward,” Dippre said. “You see all these NFL teams using tight ends in quarterback sneaks, using more than one tight end now a lot in more than just a couple of games. The position is evolving at the right time.”
It’s not only evolving in the NFL. Dippre expects the tight end position to change drastically at Alabama in 2025.
In 2023 and 2024, it was a block-first group, one headlined by Dippre and Robbie Ouzts, where he said he was lining up next to tackles like JC Latham, and “holding my own” against…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/moving-forward-cj-dippre-predicts-100716953.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2025-01-30 10:07:00
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