FAU has had great success utilizing the transfer portal so far this offseason, and that continues with their most recent pickup. Joining the Owls next fall is the talented upcoming redshirt sophomore Tight End, Kahlil Brantley.
Brantley is joining the Owls after spending two seasons at the University of Miami. In his two seasons with the Hurricanes he saw limited action; appearing in five games and recording five receptions for 28 yards with one touchdown.
Miami had a Tight End room which was loaded with talent, so Brantley was never quite able to catch on despite coming in as a highly regarded 3-star recruit. However, coming to an FAU team which was previously lacking in Tight End production gives him a great opportunity to put his talents on display and be a legitimate contributor.
Standing at 6 ‘2 and weighing 225 pounds, Brantley is undeniably on the smaller side when it comes to the Tight End position. His size has led to some concerns regarding his ability to be an effective blocker in the run game.
While it’s unlikely he will ever become an elite blocker, he does possess solid strength and explosiveness off the line that, with proper coaching, could turn him into a serviceable blocker.
Despite his smaller frame and average run blocking abilities, Brantley has the potential to more than make up for it with his skillset in the passing game.
On film, Brantley is explosive off the line and has a strong knack for being able to find holes in the defense to get himself open. Additionally, he is strong enough to fight through press coverage and has solid route-running ability that allows him to get decent separation.
With the ball in his hands, he has impressive agility to make defenders miss, and also has the speed to punish players that take a bad pursuit angle.
He also runs with a physicality that allows him to power through tackle attempts and pick up tough yards. You will never see Brantley going backwards on a tackle.
Brantley’s run-after-catch ability is without a doubt the strongest part of his game. His playmaking instincts combined with his athleticism has the potential to lead to some jaw-dropping plays for FAU.
Brantley essentially moves like a wide receiver and this skillset can be used to exploit mismatches in the defense. He has too much size and strength for most corners and safeties to defend, but also has speed and agility that most collegiate linebackers are unable to keep up with.
Long story short, Brantley is one of those players that you get the football to any way you can, and let him go to work.
Overall, FAU has done an exceptional job at building a strong Tight End room this offseason. If utilized in the right way, the combination of Kahlil Brantley and fellow transfer Elijah Brown has the potential to be a highly effective duo that will give defensive coordinators headaches for several weeks to come.
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