Bingham has had its fair share of college-producing tight ends. Players such as Austin Holt, Chris Copier, Sean Larsen, and Remington Peck have all played the tight end position while prepping here at Bingham High, and every one of them has received scholarships to play at the collegiate level.
Towering over his peers at 6’5’’ and about 240 pounds, Dalton Schultz is considered by his coaches as the most elite to ever play the tight end position out of all of these former Miner standouts. Over his playing career, Dalton has now evolved into what many recruiters and college scouts speculate the top tight end prospect in the country.
According to his coaches, he has handled the hype tremendously, ignoring the distractions that come along with being one of the best.
“It’s cool. Not many people can say they’re #1 in their respected position,” said Dalton. “ It’s not something that goes to my head. People bring it up more than I do. I’m never really the one to bring it up in a conversation.”
Numerous schools are calling Dalton’s name right now as he has received offers from many Pac-12 schools including Stanford, Washington, Utah, and Oregon State, and not to mention Notre Dame . He remains undecided at this point, and says nothing is set in stone yet.
Dalton has been a key contributor to the Miners’ success this season as the team has started out undefeated with a 6-0 record.
“He is a huge help out there,” starting quarterback Kyle Gearig said of Dalton, “I trust him with anything so you know he’ll get his job done. I trust him completely. It just helps me a lot knowing that I can just throw the ball up to him pretty much anytime and he’ll be able to go up and catch it because he’s taller than everybody you know.”
Dalton is by no means an average tight end. He can line up in the slot as well as bulldoze over a defensive linemen like it is nothing. He has excellent speed, great hands, and is very versatile. It is no wonder why so many college teams are so interested in him. Dalton draws a lot of attention, allowing other players to get open.
“His presence at this point is more like having an extra man on the field. It really is a benefit to other parts of our game,” said Bingham offensive coordinator John Lambourne.
According to others, as well as himself, Dalton has come a long way to be the type of player he is now. Playing in little league, he was an X-man because of his height, meaning he exceeded a certain weight limit forcing him to play as a lineman.
Playing as a lineman taught him the necessary skills to be a good blocker, something tight ends must be able to do. His skills of being able to catch the ball really well, including his footwork and blocking have come a long way over the last couple of years as he has started varsity.
“He’s kind of changed over the years. He started out pretty good, but over the last few years he’s really developed as a player, and now he’s obviously doing really well,” said Landon Measom, a close friend of Dalton and starting wide-out for the Miners.
As good as he is, he can become an even better, according to his coaches.
“He’s got a lot of room to improve. Even though you see him walk around the halls at school, you see what appears to be a man amongst boys in some respects,” said Coach Lambourne.
“He’s not all that physically developed. He’s not like bulging with man muscles or anything. I really think his future is really bright. He’s a nice guy. When you’re talking about a student, an athlete, a friend–he is top- notch.
