From Shorter to Florida State: Kyle Morlock works his way up to becoming a Division I tight end

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From Shorter to Florida State: Kyle Morlock works his way up to becoming a Division I tight end

Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat · Tallahassee Democrat

Fri, Aug 2, 2024 ·

6 min read

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Florida State tight end Kyle Morlock hasn't reached his ceiling, but he is on his way there.

With Jaheim Bell moved on to the NFL, Norvell expects Morlock to take another leap in his second year with the Seminoles .

" Kyle Morlock is having a just an unbelievable camp, and you see the confidence," Norvell said.

Since joining FSU, Morlock has been a workhorse. He is always seeking to improve his skills in the tight-end position. His biggest focus entering this season is his route-running ability.

Florida State Seminoles tight end Kyle Morlock (84) pushes back a defender. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-20 on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

Morlock does his due diligence, including studying his game film. He and working with tight end coach Chris Tomsen all factored in improving his routes.

"You really understand when you're running a route and, depending on the defense, you're getting the ball before it's thrown to you just based on the defense," Morlock said.

"So understanding that obviously helps tremendously. You got to get out of breaks quicker stuff like that."

Kyle Morlock enrolled in Shorter, committed to weight gain as a tight end

Before tight end Kyle Morlock joined Florida State football, he played his first two three years at Shorter University. Morlock was a two-time All-American tight end before transferring to FSU in 2023.

Morlock knew firsthand when it came to being dedicated to his craft.

Back in Union County High School in Blairsville, Georgia, Morlock was one of the tallest players on the team at 6-foot-5 but weighed only 185 pounds.

Around the COVID year, Morlock had only received one offer from Shorter University , a Division II school in Rome, Georgia, 81 miles outside of Atlanta.

Shorter's head coach, Zachary Morrison, saw Morlock as a tight end rather than a receiver. He just needed to put on some weight.

" I think that when you see a 6-foot-5 and a half, 6-foot-6, long outside receiver, we knew at 185 pounds we really could put some weight on this kid, and we can work and develop him to a tight end because he shows some physicality," Morrison said. "So we took a shot at him."

Morlock committed to his weight gain. Since enrolling, he has gained 55 pounds and grown another inch. At 6-foot-7 inches, 255 pounds, he finally looked the part of a true tight end.

Morlock became a two-time All-American, leading the Hawks with 108 catches, 1,698 yards, and 22 touchdowns in his 2.5 seasons. His career-best was in his final year when he recorded 57 receptions, 890 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

"We do a lot of 12 and 13 personnel, so he was getting a lot of playing time because of the amount of tight ends that were going to be on the field for us," Morrison said. "So yeah, I think just the opportunities that he was given, he took advantage of him and made some plays."

Outside football, Morlock has aspirations of becoming an engineer, which Shorter did not have academically. It factored in his decision to enter the transfer portal.

Once he entered the portal, he became a four-star prospect.

He was getting over 30 Division I offers right off the back and was rated the fifth-best prospect in the country. He was also on the radar of NFL scouts. About 21 NFL teams came to watch Morlock while he was at Shorter.

Mike Norvell came into the picture and had built a strong relationship with Morrison and Morlock. He went on to sign with FSU to be part of Norvell's 2023 class.

"I guess Florida State just showed him the love, and he really appreciated the staff, what they were doing and what they talked to him about, and that's the decision that he made," Morrison said.

Morrison never missed an FSU game and remained tight with Morlock after he left Shorter. He mentioned being invited to Morlock's wedding a few months ago. He is more than proud of what he has become on and off the field.

"I'm extremely proud of him playing on that stage and representing himself and his family," Morrison said. "The fact that he went to a Christian college and honors Jesus Christ and everything that he does—I think all those things just make you proud."

Kyle Morlock entered Florida State ready to work with no expectations

Florida State Seminoles tight end Kyle Morlock (84) stiff arms Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Javon McIntyre (7) after a catch during the second quarter Nov. 4, 2023, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

When Morlock enrolled at FSU, there weren't real expectations for the tight end. He kept his head down and focused on finding ways of being a contributor to FSU's offense.

" I'm just gonna come in here and work at the end of the day," Morlock said. "So I came in and did my thing, helped out how I could, and that's kind of how it unfolded."

At first, it was overwhelming and humbling for Morlock to realize that he was not the biggest player in the room. He knew then that he had to play smart and fast.

"The biggest thing that I've learned while being here is that, coming from D2 when you're bigger than everybody else, you kind of just go through the motions and get open, but that's not the case here," Morlock said.

"So you have to be detailed in every step you make and how you get everything down. That really helps open yourself up."

In his first year at FSU last season, Morlock started 11 of the 14 games. As FSU's newcomer of the year, he produced 19 catches for 255 yards.

Kyle Morlock has been impressive during Florida State's fall camp

Florida State football and coaches players arrive for the 10th FSU spring football practice of the 2023 season on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

Morlock received nothing but high praise from Norvell and his teammates from both sides of the field. He has worked his way into becoming quarterback DJ Uiagalelei' s go-to target down the middle.

"He is a really good tight end in the sense that he has strong hands, can catch everything runs, really good routes, and good separation," Uiagalelei said. He's a big body that can run down the field, and he has the athleticism and agility."

Florida State safety Shyheim Brown also noticed from a defensive standpoint. He pointed out where Morlock made some improvements in his game, identifying spots where he could get open.

"He's starting to get a feel for the defenses from my eyes," Brown said. He knows where to sit down at, what to attack on the defender, so I say he's been showing up and flashing a lot lately."

As Morlock continues to make strides at the tight end, he will be one of the seven players returning on offense that went 13-1 last year.

He expects to be a key contributor as the Seminoles prepare for their season opener against Georgia Tech in Week 0 for the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland.

Florida State football schedule 2024

Aug. 24 vs. Georgia Tech *Dublin, Ireland at noon p.m., ESPN
Sept. 2 vs. Boston College at 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Sept. 14 vs. Memphis
Sept. 21 vs. California
Sept. 28 at SMU
Oct. 5 vs. Clemson
Oct. 18 at Duke
Oct. 26 at (U) Miami
Nov. 2 vs. North Carolina
Nov. 9 at Notre Dame
Nov. 23 vs. Charleston Southern
Nov. 30: Florida
Dec. 7:ACC Championship

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Kyle Morlock continues to impress since joining Florida State last year

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