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Josh Gattis’ ‘Tight End U’ Tweet Cites Alternative Facts

Michigan offensive coordinator and former Penn State wide receivers coach Josh Gattis decided to boast about his new team’s tight end corps on Twitter. Unfortunately for him, a few keen followers pointed out some flaws in his “ranking” of the best destinations for tight ends.

Gattis posted a recruiting graphic featuring the Wolverines on top of a list of seven programs’ tight end groups. The graphic implies Michigan’s tight end room is the strongest in the country, but Gattis made a few glaring omissions.

Michigan’s tight ends aren’t even the best in the Big Ten. And one Iowa assistant was quick to call out Gattis’ alternative facts.

Iowa is known for consistently rolling out old-school, hard-nosed formations featuring tight ends on offense. Both of its regular starters at the position recorded more receiving yards than Michigan’s Zach Gentry in 2018. Whether they’re fact-checking on Twitter or kicking buzzer-beating, game-winning field goals, the Hawkeyes certainly seem to have Michigan’s number in recent years.

Also excluded from the ranking was Penn State, Gattis’ former home. The Nittany Lions’ tight end group as a whole falls just short of Michigan’s unit with 157 receptions for 1,864 yards in the past three seasons. We don’t see anyone calling the Nittany Lions “Tight End U” — although it might be hard to deny that by the time Pat Freiermuth is done in Happy Valley.

It also appears that Gattis forgot about Mike Gesicki, one of the best tight ends in college football this decade. Gesicki alone hauled in 105 passes in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, giving him just eight receptions fewer than Michigan’s entire group of tight ends during that time.

Naturally, Gesicki, a social media diva, felt a bit left out.

Nice try, Coach Gattis. If you want some advice on running a good Twitter account, you might want to consult some of your former colleagues in Happy Valley. But if the PJs fit and you’re cool with tacky recruiting strategies, perhaps Ann Arbor is the place for you.

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About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: [email protected]

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