Reaching New Heights: Even at a towering 6-foot-9, tight end Kevin Roche Jr. flew under the radar as a recruit. But thanks in part to a pair of Georgia Tech athletes in his hometown, the Connecticut native found his way to The Flats, where his play is now drawing plenty of attention.
Inside The Chart | By Andy Demetra (The Voice of the Yellow Jackets)
Kevin Roche Jr. has come to expect the question – and the inevitable shock when he gives the answer.
“It definitely comes as a surprise to most people when they ask me,” he said.
He understands why it may be hard to fathom, but it’s true. Roche - a smooth, agile, 6-foot-9 son of Division I athletes - never played basketball in high school. To get his fix, he instead hooped in a recreational league in his hometown of Darien, Conn., where he dabbled at point guard as much as he dominated in the post.
To be clear, talent was never the issue. Roche loves the sport and played plenty of it growing up. But even though he towered over his classmates, practicality kept him from suiting up for the Darien High School basketball team.
“My three big sports going into high school were football, basketball and lacrosse. Once I got to high school, it was time to pick two for the commitment and the time issues. It came down to what I thought I had the best chance of doing in college,” he explained.
Roche jettisoned the seemingly most obvious sport first. He gave up lacrosse, which “is to Darien, Connecticut as (what) football is to the state of Georgia” and where he once earned a three-star ranking, after his sophomore year.
And based on Georgia Tech’s first two games, the decision to dedicate himself full-time to football has proven a wise decision.
After playing in four games and not recording a statistic in 2025, the sophomore tight end has emerged as one of the early breakout stars of the Georgia Tech offense. In addition to blocking a field goal and nearly blocking a punt in Tech’s season opener against Colorado, Roche caught the first four passes of his career for 37 yards. He followed that up with six catches for a team-high 66 yards against Tennessee, the most receptions in a game by a Georgia Tech tight end this century.
Single-Game Receptions by a TE - GT since 2000
| Player | Date | Opponent | Receptions |
| Kevin Roche, Jr. | Sept. 12, 2026 | Tennessee | 6 |
| Colin Peak | Sept. 15, 2007 | Boston College | 5 |
| Russell Matvay | Nov. 17, 2001 | Wake Forest | 5 |
| Russell Matvay | Nov. 9, 2000 | Virginia | 5 |
| Kevin Roche, Jr. | Sept. 3, 2026 | Colorado | 4 |
| Nine others tied | 4 |
Georgia Tech re-tooled its tight ends group significantly in the offseason, adding three senior transfers (Chris Corbo, Gavin Harris and Spencer Mermans) who combined for 146 career catches. It has instead been one of the seldom-used holdovers who has set the early tone.
“He’s got such a high ceiling, and such a long way to continue to go to reach that potential. I’m so excited about his future and what he’s going to become for us,” said head coach Brent Key.
Roche’s athletic stock certainly suggested a high ceiling. His dad, Kevin Sr., was a 6-foot-4 tight end and defensive end who played at Fordham from 1991-94. Mom, Jeana, was a 5-foot-11 outside hitter on the Fordham volleyball team from 1995-99. She also preceded him in athletic glory at Darien High, leading her team to back-to-back state championships without dropping a set. The achievement later earned her induction into the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame.
The football acumen? That comes from Dad.
The leaping ability that he showed on his field goal block versus Colorado? That’s all Mom.
“You can ask my mom, she’ll tell you that too,” Roche Jr. laughed.