Izayah Cummings looks to build off promising sophomore season

Last year, Izayah Cummings came into his own after switching positions from wide receiver to tight end. In 2022, he will be counted on to be a key part of Kentucky’s offense.

Though he may not be a starter by definition, Cummings is primed to make a major impact on this offense in 2022.

Izayah Cummings

• Position: Tight End
• Class: Junior
• Measurements: 6-foot-3, 240 lbs.
• Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
• School: Male
• Recruiting Rankings: Was ranked as a 3-star recruit and the No. 103 wide receiver in the country by 247 Sports Composite.

As a sophomore, Izayah Cummings made the switch from wide receiver to tight end, in part to help with some depth issues at the position after Keaton Upshaw suffered a preseason injury.

Cummings handled the transition well and finished the season with 14 receptions for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were good for third on the team in yards, fourth in receptions, and tied for third in touchdowns.

Now, coming into his junior season, Cummings will be more comfortable in his tight end role, but there will be a lot of competition at the position.

Keaton Upshaw returns and is expected to have a big year, and Brenden Bates returns as well. Redshirt freshman Jordan Dingle is expected to compete for snaps at the tight end position too.

But Cummings figures to be a key part of the Kentucky offense. His size, speed, and athleticism at the tight end position makes him a difficult matchup for opposing defenses.

New Kentucky offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello also has shown that he likes to feature the tight end position in the offense, and we should expect to see Scangarello move Cummings around the field, from being on the line of scrimmage to the backfield to the slot.

As with many of the positions on the depth chart, competition will be fierce, but you certainly can’t discount the chemistry that Cummings developed with QB Will Levis last season and the improvement we saw from him over the course of the season.

With a year of experience at the position now, I’d expect Cummings to make some big plays in the blue and white this season.

Interestingly, Cummings has drawn comparisons to former Florida Gators star and current Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who originally wore No. 84 in college before switching to No. 8 in the pros.

Cummings has made the same change to his own number for this season...

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