Joey Caudill

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-5, 215 lbs. Taller than 53% and heavier than 16% of 2026 Tight End prospects in the SEC Scouts database (116 with a listed size).

Play Style

On film he is a tall, fluid athlete who is used to being the focal point: a dual-threat quarterback who punishes defenses with his legs and throws accurately enough to produce 25 TD passes. On defense he plays downhill at linebacker and moves well in space for his size. At tight end he projects as a move/H-back type who can line up in the slot, on the wing or as a detached receiver. That lets him use his speed on seams and crossers and use his running-back instincts after the catch, while his blocking catches up.

Strengths

• Dangerous with the ball in his hands: as a senior QB he threw for 1,730 yards and 25 TDs and ran for 671 yards and 8 TDs, leading Lexington to a 9-2 record and a playoff berth. Tall ball-carriers who can make people miss are hard to tackle in space.
• Football IQ from playing both sides at key spots: taking snaps at quarterback and linebacker since his sophomore year means he reads coverages from the passer's side and knows how defenders fit. Scouts compare him to Penn State's Tyler Warren, another former QB turned tight end, because of that background.
• Rare speed and size for the position: a 4.6 forty and sprint-track background at 6-5 give him a real chance to beat linebackers vertically and threaten safeties up the seam.
• Toughness teams valued on defense: Purdue and Kentucky offered him as a linebacker, which suggests he tackles physically and plays with an edge that should carry over to blocking.

Areas to Improve

• Tight end technique from scratch: route stems, releases against press, catching in traffic and blocking footwork are all new to him. He named route running and blocking as his priorities, and Michigan State's staff sees him as a one-to-two-year project.
• Strength and weight: he needs to add significant weight and build lower-body power before he can hold up as an in-line blocker against Big Ten edge defenders. Building strength without losing his top speed is the main development task.

College Projection

He enrolled early at Michigan State and came out of 2026 spring ball sixth on the tight end depth chart, behind Brennan Parachek, Carson Gulker, Jayden Savoury, Kai Rios and Eddie Whiting. A redshirt in 2026 is the realistic outcome, with special-teams work possible. If his strength program under Brian Wozniak's position group goes well, he could be a rotational move tight end in 2027 and a starting-level contributor by 2028 (redshirt sophomore or junior).

NFL Outlook

He is a long-range NFL prospect whose stock depends entirely on development. The traits scouts want in a modern move tight end (height, speed, a background handling the ball, positional IQ) are already there. If he reaches about 245 pounds, keeps sub-4.7 speed and becomes at least a competent blocker, he would profile as a Day 3 prospect with Day 2 upside. The Tyler Warren path shows a former high school quarterback can become an early-round tight end, but that is the ceiling, not the expectation.

Best Fit

He fits a pro-style or multiple offense that uses 12 personnel and moves the tight end around (flexed, wing, H-back) and deliberately designs touches for him: RPO seams, screens, even occasional gadget throws that use his QB background. The ideal program also has a strong strength staff and enough veteran tight end depth to redshirt him without pressure, which is roughly Michigan State's current setup.