EMU Football 2026 Positional Outlook: Tight Ends

Listed on preseason depth chart (Y):

Also on roster:

On paper, having both an all-conference decorated receiver and tight end come back to an offense with their conference-leading passer back at quarterback is a tremendous place to be for a MAC team. For Eastern Michigan, it might feel like a perfect situation during the preseason.

By the numbers, Joshua Long was an easy one to place on an All-MAC roster through his first season as a transfer from his California junior college.

Of all the tight ends in the MAC last season, Long was tied with Bowling Green’s Jyrin Johnson for most receptions made (37), second to him in yards (357), and tied for third in touchdowns (3).

I wouldn't exactly say Long had monster-like performances as a college sophomore, but he gave the offense a level of consistency that the team was able to utilize in the pass game. Long wasn’t a deep threat (though, at 6’5”, a good option to lob to in the end zone). Per Pro Football Focus, the majority of the targets he’d receive were close, up to 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, and in the middle of the field.

Of his 371 receiving yards, 151 of them came after the catch (41%, 4.1 YAC avg.). Long caught 5-for-11 on contested catches, and his 19 first downs gained were second-most among MAC TEs.

In the pass game, he played a serviceable role. Decent, but there’s certainly more to improve on as a pass catcher.

There’s also more to hope for from him in the run game. While PFF shouldn’t be the end-all, be-all for these kinds of discussions, I think Long’s run game grades, on 284 recorded run-blocking moments, paint a decent enough picture for us. PFF graded Long as the fifth-worst run blocker on the team in 2025 (50.3, if that number means anything to you).

More specifically, Long was Eastern’s lowest-graded run blocker amongst guys who actually play in the trenches.

Tight end is a very difficult position to master because you have to be able to play like both a wide receiver and an offensive tackle at the same time. Long has a lot to progress in both areas, but I wouldn’t expect him to make exceptional strides as both a pass catcher and a run blocker after a second spring and offseason with the team.

Though average-to-decent levels of improved run blocking out of Long this year could help keep this offense (and his receiving targets) closer to the end zone.

By PFF’s count, Long was fifth on the offense in total snaps played at 687. Behind him, Nick Harris (graduated) played 70 snaps over nine games, and Tanner Lemaster (current backup) played 58 snaps over eight games.

Lemaster had five catches for 69 yards last year as a first-year transfer from Kentucky. Lemaster played in 10 games last year, but all of his receiving work came in the first three games.

Similarly to the wide receiver unit, only one new face was brought on via transfer. Adon Turner, from Butte College, had 612 receiving yards on 51 catches (8 TD) in 19 games in junior college. Maybe he could add a spark at the position.

Jackson Holt, a converted quarterback from Laney College, returns for his second year in the new position.

Lastly, there are four freshmen in this position group and one made an early enough impression to be listed as a backup on the summertime two-deep: Armaad Sharp.