CJ Dippre, TE, Alabama
Size:
Height: 6047
Weight: 256
Arm: 32”
Hand: 9 ⅝”
Accomplishments:
Three-star recruit
“CJ Dippre brings a finisher's mentality in the run game and a feel for soft spots in zone that quarterbacks will love.”
Strengths:
Blocking effort
Becoming available to the QB
Route urgency
Zone feel
Concerns:
Route-running
Pad level when blocking
YAC
Film Analysis:
A two-sport athlete at Lakeland High School (football and discus) in Scranton, Pennsylvania, CJ Dippre played quarterback and tight end. He amassed 2,181 yards with 18 touchdowns, adding 777 rushing yards and five receiving yards to round out his high school career. He committed to Maryland as a three-star recruit, where he made one start as a freshman but made the majority of his impact as a sophomore, catching 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns in 12 starts. He finished his collegiate career at Alabama as a four-star transfer and tallied 30 catches for 425 yards in his two seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Dippre is a physical blocker whose feet can get a bit wide and allow defenders into his chest, but he plays with a finisher's mentality. He recorded multiple pancakes against Auburn and looks to put opposing players in the dirt whenever the opportunity presents itself. He’s predominantly an in-line and detached tight end and successfully executed various blocks, but he could improve the lining up of blocks on the move to be more impactful. The effort is what coaches will be enthusiastic about when it comes to Dippre, and when he gets attached to a block, he can ride it for a while and does well to take defenders in the direction they want to go, just further than they intended.
As a receiver, Dippre is a quick outlet who does well locating soft spots underneath and becomes available to his quarterback. While in-line, he runs good seam routes with manipulation tactics to move defenders in man or zone out of his way and uncover in the intermediate parts of the field. He runs with good pace and turns to locate the football with great timing. He doesn’t have the crispest route tree and struggles to create separation against man coverage, but he gets the proper depth when running a “pick” crossing route to uncover a teammate. When going to catch the football, contact at the catch point bothers him, leading to several drops this past season. Once he gets the ball, he made the first defender miss more than expected with quick catch-to-attack urgency and a great feel for space immediately after the catch. He isn’t the most dynamic athlete at tight end, but he’s efficient in his movements and gets upfield quickly.
There isn’t much production for Dippre across four collegiate seasons, but he profiles as a good blocking tight end with upside as a receiver in space. However, he lacks the ability to win in multiple ways as a receiver to be a true threat at the next level, and his athletic ability limits his upside.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme Specific Contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Auburn (2024), Vanderbilt (2024), Georgia (2024), Missouri (2024)
