Summer football preview: Tight ends

Tight ends can be among the best athletes on a high school football team. They need versatility so they can roam the field as a pass catcher, blocker and playmaker.

Continuing the summer football preview, there are plenty of quality tight ends in Southland football.

The top seniors are Ryner Swanson of Laguna Beach and Decker DeGraaf of Glendora.

Swanson, 6 feet 5 and 245 pounds, committed to Brigham Young and is a former basketball player who made 83 receptions as a junior. DeGraaf committed to Washington and is 6-5, 230 pounds.

Davon Mitchell, a transfer from Texas, is a highly regarded 6-4, 245-pound junior at Los Alamitos.

Zach Giuliano of Corona del Mar come from a program well known for productive tight ends.

Ryan McBride, 6-4 and 230 pounds, had 32 catches and four touchdowns for West Torrance as a junior.

Kyle Brody is a 6-4, 240-pound senior at Santa Margarita who showed signs of promise last season. He has committed to Air Force.

Camden Jones from Maranatha is 6-6 with big upside.

AJ Ia of Orange Lutheran is a 6-5, 235-pound junior with early scholarship offers from Texas and Cal.

A young player with potential is Owen Shannon of Mater Dei, a 6-7 sophomore who missed all of his freshman season after a broken arm in his second practice.