Beast-Mode Tight End Tanner Koziol Gives Houston’s Offense a Fighting Chance — College Football’s Next Fascination

Tanner Koziol pops out on the University of Houston practice fields. Even if you’re not looking for him, you cannot help but notice him. For one thing, he’s bigger than almost everyone else, certainly bigger than the other pass catchers. Six-foot-7 and 240 pounds, built enough that he wouldn’t look out of place trying to post up J’Wan Roberts in Kelvin Sampson’s universe. For another, he always seems to be catching passers from Conner Weigman, the Texas A&M transfer who will be UH’s starting quarterback this season. And then there’s the harder to define reason — sheer presence.

Eyes just go to UH’s new No. 9.

“That dude, he’s a monster,” running back Dean Connors, another transfer expected to breathe life into Houston’s offense, says of Koziol. “He’s huge. I think anytime you can bring someone that size and athleticism onto your team, you’re grateful for it.

“He’s also becoming a leader. He’s coming off of a big year and we’re all excited to have him.”

Landing Koziol, one of the top tight ends in college football, a Midwest guy who many expected to end up at a contending Big Ten school, is one of Willie Fritz and the UH coaching staff’s biggest gets of the offseason. Koziol originally transferred from Ball State (where he broke out with 94 catches for 839 yards and eight touchdowns last season) to Wisconsin, before reentering the portal after spring football and landing at Houston.

Now he’s the big target who could make Houston’s offense go.

“The lord gave me this body for a reason,” Koziol tells PaperCity. “My friends back home are all 5-8, 5-9. They weren’t blessed with this. I’ve got to use this for a reason and go get that ball when I can.”

Koziol gets his height from his 6-foot-5 basketball playing dad (“They called him Coast To Coast in high school because he was always going up and down the floor with it,” Koziol reveals) and his 5-foot-11 swimmer mom. “The secret is my mom,” Koziol says of his frame.

Tanner Koziol is becoming less and less of a college football secret. And if he can live up to his new hype (which includes being the second highest-ranked tight end in the influential EA Sports College Football video game, getting on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the best receiver at any position in college football and being up for just about every tight end award), he and fellow transfer Conner Weigman could make some real noise with the Cougars, maybe even make the second season of Fritz’s UH rebuild a winning one.

This impact tight end already sees a quarterback who can get him the football.

“I know I’m a different type of target,” Koziol says. “There’s not many guys that can do what I do. And there’s not many guys that can do what Conner does. He can place the ball where he wants. And it will be something to watch this year.”

The Modern Tight End

Koziol sees himself in the new generation of tight ends that it sweeping the highest levels of football. He looks to Minnesota Vikings tight end T. J. Hockenson and Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, two NFL Pro Bowlers, as the mold of tight end he wants to be. While San Francisco 49ers fixture George Kittles’s anticipation and knowledge of the game is something he yearns to emulate.

“Like he’s so quick,” Koziol tells PaperCity. “His half speed’s so quick. And it’s just that where I want to be. I want to know my job to the extent every play where I can just play super fast and be a step ahead of everyone.”

The 6-7 Koziol is often a head above everyone too. He became adept at rising up against defensive backs and linebackers to make contested catches, leading the FBS (college football’s highest level) in such grabs last season. It’s the kind of thing that makes a quarterback’s eyes light up.

“Oh man,” Conner Weigman says. “Even when Tanner’s not open, he’s open. If he has man coverage and you put the ball up in a good spot, he’s going to go make a play for you. It’s really awesome. It’s a safety blanket. He’s going to do big things for us.”

With Houston’s leading tight end (Maliq Carr) catching 19 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown for the entire season in 2024, Tanner Koziol could be transformative for this UH offense. If Koziol hasn’t passed those stats after two games this season, there will be some disappointment.

“The lord gave me this body for a reason. My friends back home are all 5-8, 5-9. They weren’t blessed with this. I’ve got to use this for a reason and go get that ball when I can.” — UH tight end Tanner Koziol

For all of Willie Fritz’s legit talk about never having to leave the state of Texas, and seldom the greater Houston region, to recruit, the Midwest monster his program landed could be one of the biggest factors in speeding up this rebuild.

“Even when Tanner’s not open, he’s open. If he has man coverage and you put the ball up in a good spot, he’s going to go make a play for you. It’s really awesome. It’s a safety blanket. He’s going to do big things for us.” — UH quarterback Conner Weigman

Tanner Koziol, Film Nut

Koziol is a player who likes to watch a lot of film. It’s part of his drive to become as natural a tight end as George Kittle, to make sure he’s seen everything that could be coming in a game. “When you see those mental reps, like watching what has happened before, and then you see a play (during a game) and it’s the same look against a defense, you know what to look out for.

“You know the footwork that has to come with it. You know where your eyes have to be. Or where your hands have to be. It’s just those small details that make the game a lot slower. You can see things a lot slower and your job’s a lot easier.”

The guy who wants to know everyone’s job on the football field has been impressed by Dalton Merryman, another large transfer (a 6-foot-9 hulk from Texas Tech) who will help anchor this new Houston offense’s line. “He’s a greater leader,” Koziol says. “He’s a great communicator on the O-line and he’s just been awesome.”

Tanner Koziol bops his head, a red sweatband on his forehead, a towel wrapped around his shoulder, as he touts his teammate. The tight end everyone in college football seems fascinated by wants to be part of something bigger than just him.

That’s the catch.