Even though they are unheralded because of all the dirty work they do, opponents better not forget about TU's tight ends.
Because when they do, Tulsa's tight ends are likely to make them pay.
It's not that blocking isn't a key element to TU's success, but it often goes unnoticed by the average fan. But when Tulsa's tight ends catch the ball, it gets noticed.
What is certain is that Tulsa is in good shape with depth at tight end this year with James Palmer, Ethan Hall, Abe Anderson, Bayne Tryon and Grayson Boomer all returning.
Palmer, Hall and Anderson are all experienced in the art of pancake blocks for TU, while Tryon and Boomer are both waiting for their chances after redshirting last season.
Palmer, a 6-foot-3, 241-pound sophomore from Westmoore HS in Moore, already has three years of experience, starting 10 of the 25 games he has played. He played in four games while redshirting as a true freshman in 2018, then played all 12 games in 2019 and all nine games last season.
"James has been consistent for us all the way through," said TU coach Philip Montgomery. "We had to play him when he was young, and kind of went through growing pains with him. But James has really developed into a consistent tight end for us.
"He does a good job in our blocking parts of it, does a nice job in our route part of it -- he's continuing to grow and learn in there, but James has been solid for us."
One of the biggest plays of last season was delivered by Palmer in the passing game, and it knocked out No. 19 SMU.
On third-and-goal, Palmer caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Zach Smith where he made an incredible dive for the goal line on the right sideline, putting TU ahead for good at 28-24 with 2:11 remaining in the contest.
That was one of six career receptions for Palmer for 89 yards. He caught four for 81 yards in 2019 and two for eight yards last season.
Hall shared most of the tight end duties with Palmer last season, starting four of the eight games he played in 2020. The 6-3, 240-pound freshman from Bixby is a devastating blocker who also catches the ball well.
"Ethan Hall really is probably the guy that really came on last year," Montgomery explained. "He plays physically, does a great job in the run blocking parts of it, and has really started to develop in the receiving side of it.
"Ethan is a guy that really sets the tone for us. I'm excited to have Ethan back."
Hall caught three passes for five yards last season and caught one pass for 39 yards and a touchdown while playing four games in his redshirt year as a true freshman in 2019.
Anderson is great example of how persistence pays off. He originally signed with Central Oklahoma out of high school, and attended Tulsa Community College before walking on at TU in 2018.
After not getting into any games in 2018, Anderson played in 11 games in 2019 and earned a much-deserved scholarship. He is a valuable special teams player, registering four tackles in 2020 while playing in all nine games, and gets playing time at tight end.
A 6-3, 253-pound junior, Anderson was an accomplished quarterback at Metro Christian, passing for 7,316 yards and 66 touchdowns in his final two years in high school.
"Abe Anderson is the quiet leader of the room, just plays on every special teams, helps us in short yardage, and played throughout the year," Montgomery said. "He knows his role, is a great teammate, and he's kind of the leader in that group."
Tryon is 6-3, 220-pound redshirt freshman from Cy-Fair HS in Houston. He caught 17 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns as a senior in high school.
"I think Bayne will play on all of our special teams, and he's going to get to play at tight end as well," Montgomery said. "He's a really good combination guy. He's doing more physically on our run game parts of it, probably has the best hands of all of our tight ends, and is a really good athlete who has a really bright future."
Boomer, a 6-4, 260-pound sophomore, is the brother of Tulsa quarterback Seth Boomer. He transferred to Tulsa after sitting out the 2019 season at Oklahoma State with an injury. He also sat out the 2020 season at TU due to an injury.
A four-star prospect by ESPN coming out of Collinsville HS, Boomer also had a three-star ranking by Rivals. ESPN had him ranked as the second best player from Oklahoma and the fifth best tight end, nationally.
"Grayson, obviously, coming off the two knee injuries, made it through the spring and had a good spring," Montgomery said. "We're excited to get him back this summer and fall and see how he develops. He's big and strong."
With plenty of options, this could be a breakout year for tight ends at TU. And if the statistics don't show it, you can bet that tight end will still be a productive position for the Golden Hurricane in 2021.
