Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

There have been a number of thrilling Louisville football tight ends to come through this town. Cole Hikuktini is not No. 1 among tight ends on this list. However, Hikutini may be the most electrifying tight end in the modern history of Louisville football and was certainly the first tight end in the mold of the current day NFL tight end.

Hikutini came to Louisville as a transfer from City College of San Francisco by way of Sacramento State. He was an instant impact player for Bobby Petrino and the Louisville football offense.

Under Lamar Jackson’s guidance, Louisville’s offense was always going to be fun to watch, but giving him a tool like Hukutini was like letting Tiger Woods play a tee forward. Hikutini was a traditional style tight end in that he was an above-average blocker, but he also had the route-running skills and hands of a wide receiver.

He finished his Louisville career with 69 receptions, 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, but what he will be most well-remembered for is his ability to make clutch plays.

Often times, it’s easy to go away from tight ends as the game progresses. If you are down late, you want quick chunk plays to a sure-handed decision-maker. Hikutini brought that element to Louisville at the tight end position. In an era where Louisville football’s bugaboo was pass-catching, Hikutini was as sure-handed as they come.

Although he only played for Louisville for two seasons, his impact was tremendous and noticed even more so after his departure.

Hikutini signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017, where he caught two passes for 15 yards in his rookie season. Since then he has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, where he is still fighting to land one of the final 53-man roster spots.