Trahan gearing up for increased workload
Dana Holgorsen received a text message sometime last November. It was from Trevon Wesco, who played tight end for Holgorsen at West Virginia.
“Quit messing around and get (No.) 85 the ball,” the message read.
No. 85 happens to be Christian Trahan, the starting tight end for the University of Houston. And yes, late last season, the Cougars “quit messing around” and got the talented Trahan more involved in the offense.
“I tell (quarterback Clayton Tune) to throw it at him because he’s going to end up catching it,” Holgorsen said.
Holgorsen, who is preparing to enter his third season with the Cougars, said this spring that Trahan will be used in a variety of roles in 2021. For starters, Trahan offers a reliable target in the passing game with the departure of Marquez Stevenson, a sixth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, and transfers of Keith Corbin and Tre’Von Bradley.
After being used mostly on special teams his freshman season, Trahan has accounted for 44 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns the past two seasons.
“He’s our most productive, talented skill person that we have right now,” Holgorsen said. “That’s a huge compliment to Christian, because we have guys that have ability and talent; they just need to be productive. Christian is one of our main guys.”
In addition to Trahan’s role as a blocker, UH moved him around to utilize his versatility and create matchup problems with his 6-3, 245-pound frame. The expanded role paid off with Trahan accounting for 10 catches and nearly 200 receiving yards — almost half of his season-wide production — in the final two games against Memphis and Hawaii in the New Mexico Bowl.
Holgorsen said Trahan’s experience is a factor. He’s had more than 1,200 career snaps, most coming in the last two seasons.
“He’s extremely versatile,” Holgorsen said. “We’ll do a lot of different things, even more things than we did last year.”
As the old saying goes, “The tight end is a quarterback’s best friend,” a relationship that has been forged, Tune said, as both arrived on campus together as part of UH’s 2018 signing class.
“There’s definitely a comfort level between us, just the chemistry and we are on the same page,” Tune said.
Trahan, a junior from Sulphur, La., is ready for the expanded role. He has spent the offseason working with tight ends coach Corby Meekins on his speed and “perfecting footwork” in blocking.
“Every aspect of the game … I’m trying to take that next step,” Trahan said. “I plan on taking a step every year. Just getting one percent better every day. Just keep building so that whatever they throw at me I’ll be ready for it.”
Part of the learning process has involved Trahan’s watching film of Wesco, the player who lobbied on his behalf and was a fourth-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2019. Like Wesco, Trahan is a physical blocker. Like Wesco, Trahan also is capable of lining to up outside as a pass-catching threat.
“He’s one of those guys that comes to work every day. He’s about his business,” Tune said. “He knows the type of player he is. He knows he’s good, and I think everyone else knows he’s good. I continue to hype him up, talk him up. We feed off each other. He’s going to catch a lot of balls and score a lot of touchdowns.”
With the 2020 shortened to eight games due to the coronavirus outbreak, Trahan essentially got back his freshman season and will have two years eligibility left. A big season could position Trahan among the tight ends to watch in the 2022 NFL draft.
“I know the coaches are going to put a plan in place to have me ready to perfect the roles they need me to do,” Trahan said. “I’m going to be ready for whatever they throw at me.”