Ian Sparks
A tight end in a Lane Kiffin-coached offense often fits like a final piece to a puzzle. During Kiffin’s 10-plus years as a head coach and offensive coordinator, tight ends have tended to reach their full potential as they integrated into his offensive scheme.
Former Memphis standout Caden Priskorn is the latest in a line of highly successful, ultra-talented TEs to play for Kiffin.
Prieskorn was ranked as the No. 5 tight end in the transfer portal this past offseason. He is a 6-foot-10-inch, 255-pound player who possesses the same skill set and build that O.J. Howard and Harrison Bryant had: a big target who can catch the ball and block for his backs.
In his last year at Memphis, Prieskorn caught 48 passes for 602 yards and seven touchdowns. His accomplishments as a Tiger made him a semifinalist for the Mackey Award in 2022, and he was named to the Mackey Award Preseason Watchlist in 2023.
He has struggled with injury thus far in Oxford. He had knee surgery early on this season, which kept him out until Week 4 against Alabama. Despite his injury woes, Prieskorn has proven to be a valuable asset for the Rebel offense.
He has shown flashes of his ability in his limited game time so far, and he fits the system well. He had one catch for 21 yards against Alabama and three receptions for 42 yards against LSU.
Purely looking at the numbers, they are not setting the world on fire. However, his first three games in a Rebel uniform being at Alabama, LSU and Arkansas, coupled with recovering from injury, further show the drive and talent that have gotten Prieskorn this far.
Having a player like Prieskorn in Ole Miss’ offense is going to have a positive effect. A guy of his size that can catch the football is not without admiration.
There is a reason that Kiffin and Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. both fawned over him: He has the ability to step up and be a guy who wants the ball in tough situations against the best teams.
The Rebels have six games left this season. Six games that, in an ideal world, could see the Rebels potentially head to the SEC title game. There will be games that Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Dayton Wade could each or even all be phased out, and that is when Prieskorn’s true importance to this team will become evident.
