Texas football vs. Alabama: Breaking down Tide’s skill players
By Shane Black
Tight end Cameron Latu 'ready to go' for #Alabama's game at Texas
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) September 7, 2022
"He's doing well, 100 percent. Runs well, moves well. He practiced quite a bit last week, thought he needed another week to practice."https://t.co/vyNnYX0wD0 pic.twitter.com/DgSxC8Wfpc
Tight Ends
Cameron Latu is the name to know in the Alabama tight end room. A high school linebacker turned tight end, Latu is in his fifth season on the Crimson Tide roster.
With that said, 2021 was the first year he saw any meaningful action, and boy did he impress. Latu finished last season with 26 catches for 410 yards and eight touchdowns. Those eight touchdown receptions were the most in a single season by an Alabama tight end.
Latu has proven to be the perfect safety blanket for Bryce Young. He uses his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame to box out defenders. This makes him the perfect red-zone target for Young.
Latu’s 2021 performance, among other things, led now Texas tight end Jahleel Billingsley to enter the transfer portal.
Next. Assessing Texas' 5 biggest visitors vs. Alabama. dark
I do not expect Latu to burn this defense deep or even have six+ receptions. That said, the targets he does get will likely be in very high-leverage situations. It will be intriguing to see how Pete Kwiatkowski matches his defense up against Latu. I would expect a heavy dosage of DeMarvion Overshown on the tight end.