Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
Size:
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 247 pounds
Arm Length: 32 3/4"
Hand Size: 9 3/4"
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-Big Ten (2023) • Third-Team All-Big Ten (2022)
“Cade Stover is a tight end who plays with good physicality and strength in the run game while offering the same as a passer-catcher in space.”
Strengths:
LB to TE convert
Middle-of-field merchant
Zone beater
Physicality after the catch
Run blocking
Concerns:
Explosiveness and twitch
Separating vs. tight man-to-man coverage
Defeating press-man alignment
Limited athletic ceiling
Film Analysis:
Cade Stover’s effort and motor skills are a strength of his value. It shows up in the run game as a man, zone, and lead/spatial blocker. Stover gives maximum effort once engaged with his defender. He plays with good physicality and power at the point of attack. With his dense build, he can control his defender and create a seal for the RB to hit upfield.
As a receiver, Stover can live in the middle of the field routinely. His understanding and feel for spacing is a plus. He sits in the vulnerable areas of zone defenses and presents a big target. He is an effective option on seam routes, pressing vertically where he can quickly reach top speed and stride upfield. I love his toughness at the catch-point. He will do the dirty work on those plays and bring in difficult contested catches despite defensive contact and collisions. He is sure-handed and didn’t have a single drop this season.
I came away impressed with his route stems and leans versus off-coverage to push them in the opposite direction than his intended route is designed. After the catch, he is tough to bring down. Stover runs with the power to break free of initial defenders. In 2023, he averaged seven yards after the catch. He becomes a locomotive after the catch and it is fun to watch. He is solid at the breaking point of his routes with adequate angles.
Stover is a solid athlete but lacks explosiveness and twitch. He doesn’t strike fear in defenders in tight man coverage with his vertical speed or hip fluidity to separate at the breakpoint. He has to use his strength and frame more in those instances. Facing press alignment, Stover does not have a strong release package or quickness at the line of scrimmage to defeat defenders. As a run blocker, he is aggressive but can be more controlled with his technique and footwork. There is an athleticism cap on Stover that can limit his upside/ceiling at the next level.
Overall, Stover projects as a TE2 for an offense that thrives in 12-personnel (two-TE sets). He will be an asset on running downs and has starting-level potential. He reminds me of Texans starter Dalton Schultz.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Penn State (2023), Michigan State (2023), Western Kentucky (2023), Purdue (2023), Michigan (2023)
