VERMILLION, S.D. — Newly appointed Scott & Lisa Jones Family Offensive Coordinator Tim Morrison will also continue to work the with Coyote tight end group going into 2025. We sat down with him to talk to him about his tight ends this spring.
 
2025 TIGHT ENDS

• Zach Witte (6-6, 260, R-Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.)
• Jesse Miller (6-6, 250, R-So., Scranton, Iowa)
• Mason Cowgill (6-4, 225, R-Fr., Erie, Colo.)
• Caden Frey (6-6, 235, R-Fr., Red Cloud, Neb.)

 
Transition to Offensive Coordinator
"It's been an exciting transition! Our first two years here, we've had a bunch of success on offense and now I'm fortunate to step into this more leadership role on the offensive side of the ball. The foundation of the offense is going to remain the same, putting our own spin on things. It's been a fun transition for myself and the guys."
 
Spring Ball Report
"The guys have done a good job. We've changed some verbiage and the guys have picked up on that really well. We've set ourselves up to hit the ground running this summer and into fall camp."
 
"The tight end room has been doing a really good job. We're using those guys a bunch like we've always have. We're looking to elevate their roles within the offense."
 
Zach Witte, redshirt senior
Has played in nearly every game the last two seasons. He brought down a pair of receptions in 2024 and heads into his final year of eligibility in 2025.
 
"Zach has had a really good spring for us. With the new strength coach, Coach Traver, there's been a lot of positives there. He's put in a lot of work with Coach Traver during winter work outs and is continuing to improve his body. We're looking forward to utilizing him more in the pass game as he's improved his route running this spring."
 
"He really took on a leadership role throughout spring practices as the veteran of the tight end room. He's played a ton of football in his career at South Dakota and he's a guy who is going to show up consistently. You know what you're getting from Zach every single day."
 
Jesse Miller, redshirt sophomore
Miller saw some time in the latter half of the season, getting game reps when Galbreath was out with injury. He saw action in 11 games and made a pair of starts (North Dakota, Tarleton State) with his first-career start coming against the Fighting Hawks.
 
"Jesse did a great job last season filling in when JJ (Galbreath) went down. He gained invaluable game reps through that and really filled that role well. He's had a great offseason, really improved his size and strength. He's now got a full grasp of the offense and can now step in to be utilized. He's also a guy we're going to rely on to be consistent."
 
Mason Cowgill, redshirt freshman
Completing his first spring after his redshirt season as a true freshman in 2024, Cowgill has used the spring to develop more technical skills of being a tight end and getting physically stronger in the weight room.
 
"The thing that impresses me most about Mason is that he works hard. He will give you 100% every time he's out on the field and he works his butt off. Mason has down a really good job of growing physical and he plays hard on the gridiron."
 
Caden Frey, redshirt freshman
Coming off his redshirt freshman season in 2024, Frey has made strides this spring in learning the tight end role and working hard in the weight room, Morrison mentioned.
 
"Caden is having a great spring. This is a young man who played all over the field as an athlete in high school. He's another guy who's worked his butt off in the weight room. Combined with his athleticism, he's continuing to grow in learning how to play tight end. He's learning something every practice and continually learning his 'mental database' of playing tight end and how to handle situations at full speed."
 
Heading into the 2025 Season
Morrison remains excited about the future of the tight end room, even with the departure of All-American JJ Galbreath.
 
"What excites me the most is still figuring out what roles these guys can play for us. It's a very disperse group: guys good at the line of scrimmage, others good on the perimeter. As we continue to move into the fall, how do we utilize them and what specific roles will they have?"
 
"The exciting thing for our tight end room, is every single guy is eager to take the next step. Everyone talks about replacing JJ (Galbreath) and how great he was but this room is eager to not let the play level drop with him gone. You're going to start to see a bigger tight end room, a bigger and longer athlete."