Training Camp: Checking in with Luke Wells, TE Coach

Earlier this month, the Iowa State Cyclones’ athletics webpage became a little more cutting edge by launching a terrific companion to their normal website – Cyclones.TV. To kickoff the new website, daily video updates are given to subscribers of the new service, and John Walters has been a part of many interviews with coaches on breaking down those positions.

While we can’t give you reviews of subscriber-related content, there still is enough free content on the website to get a general feel on certain coaches’ views on their players. The most recently interviewed coach was tight end coach, Luke Wells, who commented on the depth of the tight end position and the expectations heading into the upcoming season.

“I like all my guys,” said Wells. “I got six guys who like to come into work and who would like to compete. I think it’s important that they improve.”

Last season, the luxury at depth wasn’t available. As a junior, Ricky Howard was suspended on an OWI charge and didn’t play last season. The police report stated that the tight end didn’t play in 2010, however the Cyclones’ athletic webpage listed that he appeared in eight games. Howard later had a knee injury that kept him out of play last season.

“[Due to depth] we might have been just a hair limited as far as being able to use more two-tight end sets,” Wells said. “[With] Kurt (Hammerschmidt), we were just learning about what he could do, and so we didn’t ask him to do a whole lot early on.”

Hammerschmidt, a 6-foot-6, 271-pound senior, is listed as the starter at tight end since July 17th on the depth chart. He consistently played in the final five games of the season, finishing the year with 13 receptions for 126 yards.

“I think toward the end of the year (Hammerschmidt) proved that he was able to get open and catch the football,” Wells said. “We’ll be more multiple this year. We’ll be in some more two tight end sets and we’ll be able to use them more in the running game as well as the passing game.”

Ernst Brun will be a junior that’s coming in after being redshirted last season. Wells also gave his thoughts on redshirt sophomore Pierce Richardson and his work with the director of strength and conditioning, Yancy McKnight.

“Richardson is a lot better football player than he was last spring,” Wells said. “He really needed to work on his flexibility, his blocking, and that’s a tribute to McKnight. Our guys are bending better, they’re blocking better. They’re squatting, they’re power cleaning…that stuff is starting to show up on the field.”

Wells also gave us his thoughts on what the team is looking for and what the expectations are for the upcoming season.

“Each year you somewhat redefine who you are in a way where you’re trying to find who your playmakers are and where you’re trying to get the football,” Wells said. “We’re going to make more of an emphasis on spreading the ball around. Get the backs involved, get the tight ends involved, [and] get all three receivers and not just lock into one or two guys and make the defense play the entire field.”

Watch the entire interview with Luke Wells here.

For a look at the ISU tight end depth chart, click here.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential, follow the site on Twitter and Facebook. Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Watson Talk Lacrosse.