Rob Gronkowski is the type of 18-year-old athlete who warrants the "man-child" moniker.

At 6 feet 6, 250 pounds, he has the body of an NFL-caliber tight end.

Now he has the numbers.

As a freshman at Arizona (5-6), Gronkowski has 26 receptions for 496 yards (19.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns through 11 games. The Wildcats have used Gronkowski as a blocker and a deep receiving threat, something tight ends coach Dana Dimel said is rare for a tight end, especially such a young one.

"It's hard to find a tight end who can do both," Dimel said. "He has legitimate size. He's a solid run blocker. He's really great at pass catching."

Gronkowski, a 2007 Woodland Hills High School graduate, fit perfectly into the pass-first style of Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. Dykes was known as a passing-attack specialist at Texas Tech before introducing his spread offense to Arizona under head coach Mike Stoops the winter prior to Gronkowski's arrival.

"As he's gotten better every week, we've tried to get more and more passes to the tight end," Dykes said. "We've designed ways to get him the football because he's such a unique talent. When we put the ball in his hands, he rewards us."

Rated a top-five high school tight end by numerous recruiting services, some expected Gronkowski to come to Arizona and be a possession receiver. At least that's how this freshman, because of his size, was stereotyped, Dimel said.

"He looks like a possession receiver, but that's not everything you need to know about him," Dimel said. "Rob is a deep-ball threat. He is an absolutely lethal weapon after the catch. He can knock you down. He can run away from people. He is an impact player."

Arizona's passing attack tops the Pac-10, a conference that features three of the top 11 teams in the BCS and several of the nation's top offenses. At the center of the Wildcats' passing game is Gronkowski, whose poise and concentration continues to impress the Arizona coaching staff.

Against premier competition, Gronkowski's presence and talent are in the national spotlight each week. He had six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown in Arizona's 34-27 win over UCLA on Nov. 3, a game regionally televised by ABC. Gronkowski's touchdown proved to be the game-winning score.

"He doesn't let the attention bother him," Dimel said. "This kid is special. We aren't going to have him for long if he keeps playing the way he is."

When he was in high school, Gronkowski looked like a man among boys. Signing him was a no-brainer for Arizona.

"Physically, he's further along than most guys his age," Dykes said. "Mentally, he is further along, too. He has a lot of confidence. He's a smart enough kid where he does things right. He's very coachable."

Gronkowski switched schools before his senior year of high school, moving to Woodland Hills from Williamsville, N.Y. He earned first-team All-Western New York and New York All-State honors as a junior.

He transferred to Woodland Hills already highly rated. After catching eight passes -- including four touchdown receptions -- for the run-first offense of Woodland Hills, The Associated Press named Gronkowski to its Class AAAA All-State first team in 2006. The Post-Gazette named him to its Fabulous 22 the same year.

Still, Gronkowski hadn't been targeted a lot as a receiver. In Tucson, that changed.

The increase in Gronkowski's receiving numbers at Arizona from his high school statistics doesn't surprise his former Woodland Hills coach, George Novak. Novak said Gronkowski worked hard, played physically and had the talent needed to jump to the next level and beyond.

"He just has great hands," Novak said. "I've seen him a couple times on TV and he fits right in with the big boys. We've had five guys come through Woodland Hills and get into the NFL. Rob is right there with them. He'll be playing on Sundays."

Dimel echoed Novak's sentiment.

"He's the type of guy who is going to make a lot of money playing football," Dimel said. "He'll be making a lot of money for a long time."