STEPHENVILLE – Beau Blair is in his first football season coaching tight ends, but that has not stopped him from making an impact at Tarleton State.
Working with offensive linemen for a majority of his career, Blair has picked up wisdom on blocking, foot work, and physicality.
Those skills just so happen to be important for quality tight ends.
The first-year tight ends coach is spreading his knowledge as a former offensive line coach to Tarleton State’s tight ends.
“The tight ends are more like baby O-Linemen,” Blair said. “They’re just smaller O-Linemen trying to get after it. They are very physical guys. There hasn’t been that much of a change on my end. It’s good to be here and good to be part of it.”
When Blair got the job as Tarleton State’s tight ends coach, one of the first people he sought insight from was Texan Football’s strength and conditioning coach, Brant Bailey. When head coach Todd Whitten returned to the Texans in 2016, the tight end turned strength coach was a member of Whitten’s first recruiting class. The four-time All-LSC selection at tight end transformed into a team leader and was a catalyst for the back-to-back Lone Star Conference champions in 2018 and 2019.
Blair knew that “a key” to success in the room was to soak up knowledge from one of the best tight ends in program history.
“The very first thing I emphasized to him was that this was a very smart group,” Bailey said. “They are really tight-knit. They are always going to hold each other accountable. The biggest thing was to sharpen the tools that they already have. I told him it would be a smooth transition.”
The room’s focus in 2024 was on high energy and effort. That is still an expectation for the room this season, but more emphasis has been put on technique and footwork.
While Blair’s approach is new to the group, it has been beneficial.
“He brings a lot of new techniques and knowledge to the tight end room,” senior tight end Dawson Hearne said. “It’s been a different angle on how to do things. He’s helped us get better in a lot of different areas.”
Hearne returns in 2025 with veteran experience, starting 13 of 14 games for the Texans in 2024. In addition to his 10 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown last season, Hearne served mostly as an elite blocker in the run game. Tarleton State will also have help in the room from Amechi Ofili, Charlie Robinson, Luke Vyvlecka and SEMO transfer Danny Joiner.
A tight end that Texans fans will be watching is redshirt freshman Klein Essler. Having a breakout game in Tarleton State’s spring game last April with a touchdown and a handful of receptions, that momentum has carried into fall camp.
“Coming off that (spring game), it’s awesome,” Essler said. “I was able to come into fall camp really strong. I’m just going to try to keep going.”
With the help of the tight ends’ blocking in 2024, the Texans were able to turn in some of the best offensive production numbers in FCS. Tarleton State’s tight ends impacted games last season, something the group aspires to attain again in 2025.
“We just want to be influential in the game,” Hearne said. “We want to have key blocks and get involved in the passing game as much as we can. We want to be reliable and do what we’re supposed to do every play and every game.”
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