BEREA — Growing up in Canton, Harold Fannin Jr. knew all about how much the Cleveland Browns love the tight end position.
Although he’s too young to remember Ozzie Newsome, he has heard all about the Hall of Famer who caught 662 passes for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns in a 13-year career with the Browns.
What Fannin is looking forward to most is hanging out with David Njoku and becoming a sponge under the 2023 Pro Bowler, who led the Browns with 81 catches and a career-high six touchdowns two seasons ago.
Harold Fannin Jr. is a perfect tight end fit for Cleveland Browns
Fannin has seen what a Kevin Stefanski-run offense looks like and knows just how much his position is valued in the system.
“I’m very excited to play, especially for a guy like that,” Fannin said. “He’s big on tight end, so he is going to be able to work me around, be able to play me to my strengths and things like that.”
Those strengths will make Browns fans very happy to have the McKinley graduate.
The numbers don’t lie when it comes to Harold Fannin Jr. and the Browns
It can be argued the 6-foot-3, 241-pound 20-year-old had the greatest tight end season in the history of FBS Division I football.
He set single-season records for catches (117) and receiving yards (1,555), while scoring 17 touchdowns in becoming a consensus All-American at Bowling Green.
Not only that, he excelled in the biggest games, including 11 catches for 137 yards and a score in 34-27 loss to Penn State.
Fannin also set the FBS bowl record for receiving yards and receptions by a tight end in a 38-31 68 Ventures Bowl loss to Arkansas State when he had 17 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown.
“I feel like the way my play style is, I’m able to move around a lot, do a lot of different things, kind of just really open the playbook up a little bit just because, obviously, I can play out of position a little bit,” he said.
Harold Fannin Jr. ready to step into an offense ready to roll
In a system that now includes Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Super Bowl champions Kenny Pickett Joe Flacco at quarterback, Fannin knows he has to come into camp with the drive that made him a star in college.
Blake Whiteheart, Brenden Bates and Tre’ McKitty also will fight for playing time alongside Njoku. It’s up to Fannin to take that next step.
“I used to play defensive back, so I kind of got an idea of running routes or whatever,” Fannin said. “I just kind of know what makes a DB so uncomfortable just because I play it myself. I know what makes me feel uncomfortable, so I know … what the DB doesn’t want you to do. I kind of already know how that feels and kind of think about, what if I was guarding myself? How would I make moves when it comes to route running and stuff like that?”
Contact Brad Bournival at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Harold Fannin Jr. excited to contribute to Browns’ revamped offense
BEREA — Growing up in Canton, Harold Fannin Jr. knew all about how much the Cleveland Browns love the tight end position.
Although he’s too young to remember Ozzie Newsome, he has heard all about the Hall of Famer who caught 662 passes for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns in a 13-year career with the Browns.
What Fannin is looking forward to most is hanging out with David Njoku and becoming a sponge under the 2023 Pro Bowler, who led the Browns with 81 catches and a career-high six touchdowns two seasons ago.
Harold Fannin Jr. is a perfect tight end fit for Cleveland Browns
Fannin has seen what a Kevin Stefanski-run offense looks like and knows just how much his position is valued in the system.
“I’m very excited to play, especially for a guy like that,” Fannin said. “He’s big on tight end, so he is going to be able to work me around, be able to play me to my strengths and things like that.”
Those strengths will make Browns fans very happy to have the McKinley graduate.
The numbers don’t lie when it comes to Harold Fannin Jr. and the Browns
It can be argued the 6-foot-3, 241-pound 20-year-old had the greatest tight end season in the history of FBS Division I football.
He set single-season records for catches (117) and receiving yards (1,555), while scoring 17 touchdowns in becoming a consensus All-American at Bowling Green.
Not only that, he excelled in the biggest games, including 11 catches for 137 yards and a score in 34-27 loss to Penn State.
Fannin also set the FBS bowl record for receiving yards and receptions by a tight end in a 38-31 68 Ventures Bowl loss to Arkansas State when he had 17 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown.
“I feel like the way my play style is, I’m able to move around a lot, do a lot of different things, kind of just really open the playbook up a little bit just because, obviously, I can play out of position a little bit,” he said.
Harold Fannin Jr. ready to step into an offense ready to roll
In a system that now includes Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Super Bowl champions Kenny Pickett Joe Flacco at quarterback, Fannin knows he has to come into camp with the drive that made him a star in college.
Blake Whiteheart, Brenden Bates and Tre’ McKitty also will fight for playing time alongside Njoku. It’s up to Fannin to take that next step.
“I used to play defensive back, so I kind of got an idea of running routes or whatever,” Fannin said. “I just kind of know what makes a DB so uncomfortable just because I play it myself. I know what makes me feel uncomfortable, so I know … what the DB doesn’t want you to do. I kind of already know how that feels and kind of think about, what if I was guarding myself? How would I make moves when it comes to route running and stuff like that?”
Contact Brad Bournival at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Harold Fannin Jr. excited to contribute to Browns’ revamped offense
