With all of the other offensive talent Arkansas had in 2011, senior TE Chris Gragg was lost in the shuffle at times.
That was fine by him. All he did was produce. He had 41 catches for 518 yards and two touchdowns, making him the leading returning tight end in the league. With WRs Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright all in the NFL now, Gragg could get even more targets in 2012, especially in the red zone.
He's the biggest reason the Razorbacks have the top unit, but there are options behind him as well. Junior Austin Tate is a reliable blocker at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds. He's not a vertical threat, but he has reliable hands and 25 career games to his credit. Freshmen Demetrius Dean and Brett Weir are two to watch for the future.
Contenders:
Florida: TE Jordan Reed had 28 receptions for 307 yards and two touchdowns in 2011. He is one of just three returning TEs -- Gragg and Tennessee's Mychal Rivera are the others -- to be in the top 40 in the league in reception yardage in 2011. He is backed up by sophomore Clay Burton and WR/TE Omarius Hines.
Auburn: TE Philip Lutzenkirchen might be the best red-zone target in the league. He caught 24 passes in 2011, but seven of them went for touchdowns. New starting QB Kiehl Frazier will look for him often in 2012. His backup, sophomore Brandon Fulse, will look to have a bigger role after only catching two passes in 2011.
Tennessee: It's pretty much a one-man unit at the moment. Senior Mychal Rivera had 29 catches for 344 yards in 2011. He's been limited in camp with a sprained knee, but he will play in the season opener against North Carolina State on Friday. FB/TE Ben Bartholomew will add some depth while the Vols wait for reserve Brendan Downs to return after dislocating his patella in camp.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks have a strong duo in Justice Cunningham and Rory Anderson. Cunningham is an accomplished blocker who only has 27 catches in 40 career games. Anderson is the more explosive of the two. He only caught eight passes as a freshman in 2011, but three of them went for scores, and he averaged 23.5 yards per reception.
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