INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When TCU coach Sonny Dykes sees on tape Brock Bowers, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Georgia tight end who moves like a receiver and presents a matchup nightmare for every opponent, his mind harkens back 15 years to another young tight end he coached as the offensive coordinator at Arizona.

“[We] had a tight end named Rob Gronkowski,” Dykes said Sunday morning, “that was a pretty good player.”

Dykes, an air-raid disciple, had rarely even lined up with a tight end before he had Gronkowski. But having someone that good at the position changed everything. And when he was asked about Georgia’s two-tight end package on Sunday ahead of the national title game, his mind harkened back to those days.

“Most people, when they go 12 [one running back, two tight ends], they’re taking two good players off the field and putting two average players on the field,” Dykes said. “Well, Georgia certainly is the exception to that. Their tight ends are exceptional. … Like Rob, they’re wide receivers that are 270 pounds and can block.”

Bowers and fellow tight end Darnell Washington have combined for over 1,200 receiving yards for the Dawgs this season, with Bowers as their leading receiver. The sophomore from Napa, Calif., also won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end.

“I remember watching him on film when I first got here,” Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “He wasn’t really an Air Raid Y. He was more of a running back F novelty, get the ball to him. That’s where you can see some of his special qualities, which is run after the catch, and you can get him the ball in a lot of ways.”

Bowers will leave TCU searching for an answer that perplexed the SEC all year.

“It presents an issue for defenses, because now you’ve got tight ends that can split out,” Horned Frogs defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie said. “They’re very much utilized in the passing game, get a lot of targets, especially like a Georgia. They’ve got a tight end that’s kind of like a Swiss Army knife. I mean, he can do it all.”

No prizes for guessing who that would be.

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Dykes said that running back Kendre Miller (knee) would participate in a “full-speed run-through” on Sunday before the Horned Frogs made a decision on his status for Monday’s game.

“Obviously Kendre is going to want to play,” Dykes said.l “It’s a big stage. He’s a tough kid.”

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Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs were “hoping” to get Washington ready for Monday. Right tackle Warren McClendon and linebacker Chaz Chambliss are also question marks.