Set to handle the Cowboy tight end position this year are (left to right) Harold Turnage, Josh Jordan, Manny Busch, Zack O’Quinn and Kendale Thomas. Cowboys have had two all-conference performers there in the last two seasons

(this is the final article in a series on McNeese State’s football prospects. Today: the tight ends)

McNeese State’s tight end has several key assignments in the Cowboy offense and coach Lance Fremin believes that this year’s group will be able to handle the job.

“We’ve got an experience tight end coming back in Harold Turnage,” he said, “and we have added Josh Jordan who has not played the position before but was impressive during the spring.”

The coach also said that Manny Busch will be in the mix along with Kendale Thomas. Zack O’Quinn, who transferred from quarterback to tight end during last season, is also returning but is coming back from an injury and might not be available until after the season has started.

“They are following in the footsteps of some very good tight ends that we have had here in the past few years,” Fremin said.

Last year’s starter Corday Clark earned all-conference honors while before that Wes Mangan was an all-conference performer and set a school tight end touchdown scoring record.

Turnage could be the key at the position. The 6-5, 245 pound senior from Houston got in his first playing time for the Cowboys last year after transferring from Texas A&M. He caught seven passes for 79 yards including two for 40 yards against Texas State and two for 22 yards vs Central Arkansas.

He also got in two starts (vs Missouri and Nicholls) and he’s coming off a good spring, one in which he caught three passes for 22 yards in the spring game.

Jordan, out of St. Amant and a transfer from East Carolina, is marking his first year at the tight end slot. He’s up to 6-4 and 225 pounds but was a quarterback in high school and played that position as well as a wide receiver post while at East Carolina.

Busch, a sophomore from Sulphur, played tight end throughout his high school career while Thomas is a redshirt freshman from New Iberia, having played on a district championship team at New Iberia High.

O’Quinn, from Moss Bluff, got in two games last year as a quarterback and completed the only pass he attempted for 14 yards. He moved to tight end during the last part of the season.

Fremin ranks his tight ends as having good speed and strength with the ability to catch the football. Run blocking is also key to the play of the tight end and the coach feels that all of his players have improved in that area.

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