Old-school, block-first tight end who earns his keep at the point of attack and on special teams — not on the stat sheet. Arkin is a steamrolling run blocker who sets edges, leads through the hole, and pass protects with the toughness of a sixth offensive lineman. He's a capable enough possession receiver with strong hands and solid route fundamentals on short-to-intermediate concepts, but the extremely limited college production (45 career receptions in five seasons) and lack of separation ability make him a TE2/TE3 at the NFL level. The floor is a special teams contributor and blocking TE who carves out a long career doing the dirty work; the ceiling is a functional two-way inline starter if the receiving game continues to develop, but that development path is narrow.
- Elite run-blocking effort and technique — described as a 'steamrolling machine' who sets edges and clears space as a lead blocker
- Exceptional toughness and durability — played through a broken fibula in high school, started all 13 games in both his final two college seasons, and coached praised him as someone who 'doesn't feel pain'
- Strong hands on contested low-point catches and reliable as a safety valve in the short passing game
- Outstanding character, leadership, and football IQ — team captain, John Mackey Watch List, versatile enough to never come off the field
- Massive hands (10 3/4 inches) at 262+ pounds provide a physical profile that translates for inline blocking and catch-point work
- Extremely limited receiving production — 45 career catches, 351 yards, 6 TDs across five college seasons is among the lowest in this TE class
- Lacks separation ability and downfield speed to threaten as a seam or vertical weapon at the NFL level
- Not invited to the Senior Bowl or NFL Combine — participated only in the American Bowl (lowest-tier all-star game), signaling limited NFL interest
- Two-star recruit with a late development path from Group of 5 (Colorado State) — athletic ceiling is questionable
Multiple sources drew the direct comparison: both were Group of 5 transfers to Big Ten programs, both are known primarily for blocking prowess with limited receiving numbers, and both project as potential late-round or UDFA blocking TEs who can stick via special teams value.