Spring Outlook: The Tight Ends

AMES, Iowa - Spring football practice begins on March 8 and Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell will get his first chance to work with his players in preparation for the 2016 season. Campbell sat down with Cyclones.com to preview each position. Today we look at the tight ends.

Synopsis
Matt Campbell's Toledo teams had a strong track record of utilizing the tight end position and he will continue to do so as the Cyclone mentor. It will be a work in progress, however, as Campbell returns only one tight end who caught a pass in 2015 in Justin Chandler (6-4, 272, Sr.#, Jacksonville, Fla.).

Chandler caught two passes for 49 yards in 2015. He had a career-long 30-yard catch in the 38-13 win over Kansas.

Scotty Schaffner (6-4, 236, So.#, Raymore, Mo.) is back and the Cyclones added a mid-year junior college transfer in Clifford Fernandez (6-3, 255, Jr.#, Sandy Hook, Miss.). Fernandez was rated as the 12th-best JC tight end in the nation after catching 20 passes for Southwest Mississippi C.C. in 2015. ISU also added a walk-on in mid-year in Sam Harms (6-3, 225, Jr., Spirit Lake, Iowa).

Campbell likes to use tight ends in an off-set, fullback look he labels the F position. Cole Anderson (6-4, 250, So.#, League City, Texas), who sat out last season with an injury, and Ashton Clemons (6-2, 230, #Fr., Boone, Iowa) are options in this formation.

Campbell On The Tight Ends
“I'll be honest with you, we're kind of excited at tight end. I think maybe we're a little better off than what we thought coming in. Obviously, the pickup of Clifford Fernandez has probably been the highlight of the spring. He's kind of been the highlight downstairs (in the weight room). He's got great ability, great length and he's very athletic. It's going to be really interesting to watch Cliff. The other young man is Justin Chandler. I know he's a kid that has played some here. I think he has a skill set that can play in Big 12 football games. I think he's a guy that has the ability. He's going to be a senior and I'm really excited to work with him. It's nice to have two able bodies right now that I think are definitely ready. Cole Anderson, who is coming off of an injury, is someone we heard was doing good things last year in fall camp before he got injured. Scotty Schaffner is a young man that's got ability and we're trying to see where he fits. We added a kid from Iowa Western that I think we're excited about in Sam Harms. Sam is a walk-on and he has really shown some merit as to what he can do. Those guys can also play what we call the F position. It's a little bit of that fullback, off-set back. We also have Ashton Clemons, who will move to that F/tight end spot as well. I think there's some able bodies that can give us some really quality reps this spring.”

Players Mentioned

Cole Anderson

Justin Chandler

Ashton Clemons

Clifford Fernandez

Sam Harms

Scotty Schaffner

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