Depth chart analysis: Tight end

This is the fourth of a 24-part series that will run up to SEC Media Days detailing Auburn's depth chart heading into the 2014 season. This comes well after the Tigers concluded their 15 spring practices and includes insight from nearly every position coach on the staff.

AUBURN -- The tight end was an underutlized position in the passing game for the Tigers last season.

While C.J. Uzomah and Brandon Fulse were both regularly on the line to help block for the top rushing attack in the country, they were seldom used in the air. Fulse had just one grab and Uzomah, who did see his production go up slightly and had three touchdowns, was never consistently targeted.

Even with Nick Marshall expected to pass much more this season, the tight ends shouldn't be expected to suddenly leap off the page statistically. Auburn is not going to have a tight end put up numbers like Jace Amaro and Eric Ebron, nor does it need to.

Arthur Lynch led SEC tight ends with 30 receptions for 459 yards and five touchdowns last season, so it wouldn't take much to be among the more productive players in the conference at the position.

The Two-Deep
C.J. Uzomah (6-foot-4, 264 pounds, senior)
Brandon Fulse (6-foot-4, 272 pounds, senior)

POSITION ANALYSIS: QB | RB | HB

Starter
The talk during last fall camp was whether C.J. Uzomah would have a breakout year and become one of the more prominent tight ends in the conference. He was a receiver in Gus Malzahn's offense before and big things were expected.

His 11 caches for 154 yards and three touchdowns last season were not disappointing, but they did not align with being in Lynch's class either and there were several reasons for it.

Uzomah had his share of missed opportunities, but so did plenty of other receivers and his game-winning grab against Mississippi State did far more positive than any drop cost the Tigers later on.

He was nicked up a little bit at time and Auburn also went so heavily to the running game, and for good reason, that he just wasn't a regular target.

With Brandon Fulse appearing to be the starter at H-back, Uzomah will get a greater number of reps at tight end.

"C.J. has done at a great job at split-5 and tight end for us," tight ends coach Scott Fountain said.

Backup
You'll most likely see Brandon Fulse on the line of scrimmage when the Tigers are going to run.

He's the bigger and better blocker and that's why he's the leader at H-back at this point.

Next Wave
Chris Laye (6-foot-4, 236 pounds, freshman) was one of the five early enrollees and he spent most of his time at tight end in spring practice.

He's expected to be able to contribute in the fall but it's about the future with Laye, as both Uzomah and Fulse are gone after this season.

"I see Chris being a really good tight end for us," Fountain said. "That's what we think he'll be. I've asked him this summer just to focus on tight end, make sure he knows 3-back, but focus on tight end. That's why I think he'll have an opportunity to help us there next year and maybe on some special teams."

Summer Arrivals
Jakell Mitchell (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) is more of an H-back than tight end but in a pinch could be a fourth player at the position.

Quotable
"We feel really good about who Chris Laye was when we recruited him. We think he showed up and he's what he thought he is going to be. ... He came early so he's still young but he's getting reps too at the tight end and H-back spots, which is really valuable for him, and he's going to be light years ahead of where he'd have been if he had waited until the summer to come in. We feel really good about him down the road." – Rhett Lashlee