This is the guy who I think might take off in Malzahn's offense. (Which means he'll suck) Would love to see us get back to an offense where we hit the TE at least 4-5 times every game. Seems to open up everything else when the D knows they have to commit someone to a TE every play.
copyin' ur pastas al.kum
C.J. Uzomah only got a brief appearance as Auburn's lead tight end last season before breaking a bone in his right hand. But Uzomah apparently showed enough potential to earn some early award recognition heading into his junior year. Uzomah has been named to the Mackey Award's preseason watch list, the award annually given to the nation's top tight end at the Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12.
Named as one of five tight ends among 37 early watch list participants, the Mackey Award selection committee will narrow its list to a midseason list on Oct. 14, then to eight semifinalists on Nov. 18 and finally three finalists on Nov. 25.
Uzomah, a 6-foot-4, 253-pound junior, will likely be sharing time with fellow junior Brandon Fulse at tight end in Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle offense, a scheme that allows the tight end to play as a base tight end, an H-back and a slot receiver.
Inserted into the starting lineup after Philip Lutzenkirchen's season-ending injury last fall, Uzomah caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, flashing some of the athleticism that could make him a dangerous weapon in 2013.
MACKEY AWARD WATCH LIST
•Rory Anderson, South Carolina
•Alex Bayer, Bowling Green
•Ted Bolser, Indiana
•Kyle Carter, Penn State
•Gerald Christian, Louisville
•Chris Coyle, Arizona State
•Nexon Dorvilus, Florida Atlantic
•Eric Ebron, North Carolina
•Zane Fakes, Ball State
•C.J. Feidorowicz, Iowa
•Kaneakua Friel, BYU
•Devin Funchess, Michigan
•Crockett Gillmore, Colorado State
•Xavier Grimble, USC
•Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State
•Gabe Holmes, Purdue
•Gator Hoskins, Marshall
•Marcel Jensen, Fresno State
•Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
•Luke Kaumatule, Stanford
•Ben Koyack, Notre Dame
•Gabe Linehan, Boise State
•Colt Lyerla, Oregon
•Arthur Lynch, Georgia
•Jake McGee, Virginia
•Jake Murphy, Utah
•Jordan Navjar, Baylor,
•Troy Niklas, Notre Dame
•Nick O'Leary, Florida State
•Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin
•Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
•Randall Telfer, USC
•C.J. Uzomah, Auburn
•Brian Vogler, Alabama
•Beckett Wales, Syracuse
•Clive Walford, Miami
•Asa Watson, N.C. State