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One player was dismissed, another didn't return to school, and a third will sit out 2014 after shoulder surgery -- that's some bad news for the Villanova football roster. The good news, is that tight end Ryan Morris has joined the program as a transfer from Purdue to bolster that position.
The 6-5, 248-pound sophomore Morris is a native of Barnegat, N.J., was a reserve at tight end for the Boilermakers, but will likely see more playing time at Villanova, along with established starter Earnest Pettway and senior Morgan Craig.
According to Hammer and Rails, he was the number-20 tight end recruit in the country when he was picked up by Purdue. Like Pettway, he could be an ideal red zone target, with ideal size for the role, and will have less trouble getting off the line in the CAA, compared to the Big Ten. As a recruit, he was rated three-stars by 247Sports.com, Rivals, Scout, and ESPN.
At least one scouting report from his high school days suggested that he could make a move to the offensive line at Tackle, should things not work out as a receiver. He isn't blazing-fast, but his speed is good enough to be a threat to catch balls in the red zone or to break free in the open field. As a blocking tight end, the 'Cats couldn't ask for much more -- he has the size to act as an extra tackle protecting John Robertson.
Out of high school, he was recruited by a number of big time schools, choosing Purdue over the likes of Louisville, Indiana, Syracuse, South Carolina, UCF, Duke and Cincinnati, among others.
For Morris, the move to Villanova is a likely guarantee of playing time. Earnest Pettway is an athletic freak who will likely remain the number-1 tight end this Fall, but in two-TE sets and as a rotation guy, the 'Cats will definitely find snaps for the 6-5 sophomore. At Purdue, those snaps would have been much harder to come by, with three senior tight ends ahead of him, and a battle with Matt Burke and Carlos Carvajal for the scraps.
Villanova doesn't seem to have been in desperate need of another tight end this season, but Purdue's under-utilized Morris will be an asset to the 'Cats as a rotation player.