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Published Jul 17, 2021
More than Meets the Eye
Josh McCuistion  •  OUInsider
Editor
Twitter
@Josh_Scoop

It was a clear focus of the 2022 class to reload at the tight end position and with Jason Llewellyn already part of things the Sooners got the final piece they were looking for on Saturday night when Kaden Helms announced his choice. What is it that made Helms such a clear priority for Joe Jon Finley and the Sooners.

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SoonerScoop.com Recruiting Editor Josh McCuistion: I rarely would start with this aspect of a player's game but the thing that catches my eye about Helms is him being more diverse than others are going to give him credit for. He'll, likely, always be seen as the receiving tight end in the class but he's a more willing, and capable, blocker than he gets credit for. He isn't dominant in that area of his game but as he gets bigger and stronger it's not hard to see that as a very functional part of his game.

However, we all know that it's his athleticism that is what drags in the most attention and rightly so. Helms shows off a lot of ability in the passing game from adjusting to balls in the air to yards after the catch and strong hands - it doesn't take long to see what caused Joe Jon Finley to offer Helms within a week of being hired in Norman.

Helms will get nothing but bigger and stronger as time goes on but the raw tools are there to be a quality tight end.

Player Comparison: With his strong hands, frame, and overall movement skills it's hard not to see some Grant Calcaterra in his game.