The tight end is the most underrated skill position in college football right now, and the rest of the sport is starting to catch up. The hybrid role has become critical to modern offensive schemes, providing protection against increasingly dominant defensive fronts while giving quarterbacks an additional outlet when needed.
The 2026 NFL Draft made the point clearly. Twenty-two tight ends were selected, the most since 2002, with nine going in the first three rounds. That tracks with the broader trend. Target share, yard share and percentage share for the position have each climbed five percent since 2016. With such a large class now off to the professional level, the door is wide open for new players to emerge. Here is who is best positioned to walk through it.
1. Trey'Dez Green, LSU Tigers
The clear leader of this group entering the season, Green is as physically imposing as any tight end in the country. At six-foot-seven and 240 pounds, he has been clocked at ridiculous speeds and is one of the most dangerous red zone threats in college football. His pass protection still has room to grow, but the arrival of Lane Kiffin and a new coaching staff means Green will receive the kind of focused attention that should accelerate that development. The new Tiger offense will run through him, and for good reason.
2. Jamari Johnson, Oregon Ducks
Oregon has quietly become one of the premier programs for developing tight ends, and Johnson is next in line after Kenyon Sadiq became the position's first draft pick this spring. While Sadiq drew the bulk of the targets from quarterback Dante Moore in 2025, posting 51 receptions, 560 yards and eight touchdowns, Johnson averaged 15.9 yards per reception on 32 catches for 510 yards and three scores, all while earning a higher PFF grade of 78.0 compared to Sadiq's 73.8. All of that as the second option. With fresh additions entering the program and Johnson stepping into a primary role, the upside is considerable.
3. Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech Red Raiders
Carter made the jump from Louisiana to the Big 12 and never flinched. He finished with a PFF grade of 82.2, second among Power Four tight ends, on 55 receptions for 624 yards and five touchdowns. The performance was a statement that his production at Louisiana had nothing to do with the level of competition and everything to do with his ability. He leads the country with 23 missed tackles forced and 370 yards after contact, making him one of the most difficult TE’s to bring down. The ongoing situation surrounding quarterback Brendan Sorsby adds uncertainty to the program, but Carter will deliver no matter who is slinging it.
4. DJ Vonnahme, Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa has a well-established pipeline of tight ends, with George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson and Sam LaPorta among its alumni. Vonnahme is next in line. Despite playing behind others on the depth chart to start last season and operating within a limited passing offense, he tallied 434 yards and 29 receptions. He also recorded the second-most single-game yards in program history against Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, hauling in seven catches for 146 yards. With a new quarterback in place and Vonnahme as the clear primary target, the Hawkeyes will almost certainly focus their offense around him.
5. Kaelen Chudzinski, Boston College Golden Eagles
Leading all freshman tight ends in the country in yards and receptions is an achievement under any circumstances. Doing it on a two-win team makes it more impressive. Boston College was difficult to watch in 2025, with ten consecutive defeats and a last place finish in the Big 4 power rankings. Chudzinski was not the reason for such an abysmal season. He posted an 83.6 PFF run-blocking grade, third among all FBS tight ends, alongside 24 catches, 313 yards and four touchdowns, earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team. With the incumbent starter now in the NFL and significant coaching changes ahead, his role is only going to expand.
6. Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State Nittany Lions
One of the more productive tight ends in the Big 12 over the past three seasons, Brahmer arrives at Penn State and should be ready to prove his impact on a much bigger stage. At six-foot-seven and 255 pounds, he earned All-Big 12 honors at Iowa State after 37 receptions for 446 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. His blocking grade lags behind his receiving numbers, which will likely need to improve if he wants to play on Sundays. He was hospitalized last year following a head injury but returned without missing a beat, and 2026 could be a special year.
7. Jeremiah Hasley, Duke Blue Devils
Hasley spent the first part of his college career largely off the radar, totaling just 63 yards before his junior season. Then he exploded for 454 yards and helped Duke claim the ACC title. The breakout was no accident. He carries a blocking grade of 74.9, eighth among Power Four tight ends, and recorded 287 yards after contact, making him genuinely difficult to bring down in the open field. His game-winning catch in the ACC championship cemented his reputation as a player who rises in big moments. The primary question heading into 2026 is how the Duke quarterback room adjusts following Darian Mensah's departure, but new starter Walker Eget will have every incentive to find Hasley early and often.
8. Garrett Oakley, Kansas State Wildcats
Since arriving at Kansas State in 2023, Oakley has improved his yardage total in each season. He has frequently found the end zone against the toughest opponents on the schedule and earned All-Big 12 recognition in back-to-back seasons. His blocking grade of 65.5 ranks fifth in the conference, underlining how complete a player he already is.
9. Dylan Wade, UCF Knights
Wade transferred from Maryland in 2025 and immediately set program records. His yards jumped from 374 to 523, his receptions from 29 to 43, and his touchdowns from two to five, all while maintaining a 12-yard average per catch. The combined 897 yards across his two seasons is the highest total among all returning tight ends in this class, which earned him an All-Big 12 honorable mention. His receiving grades are elite, but his blocking needs to get better. New position coach Cooper Bassett has made that a specific focus heading into the offseason, and if it translates to the field, Wade becomes one of the most complete options in the country.
10. Peter Clarke, Temple Owls
We finish the list with the most unlikely entry, and arguably the most interesting. Clarke grew up in London, discovered American football through the Jacksonville Jaguars' youth initiative, enrolled in the NFL Academy as a teenager and eventually landed at Temple, where he spent time buried on the depth chart before missing the entire 2024 season with an injury. What followed in 2025 was one of the more impressive individual seasons a Group of Five tight end has produced. He posted 483 yards on 30 receptions for six touchdowns, averaged 16.1 yards per catch, and led all tight ends nationally with a PFF grade of 90.5. His receiving grade of 87.5 ranked fourth and his blocking grade of 81.4 ranked third. No other tight end in the country came close in both categories simultaneously. The program may not draw much attention, but the player should.
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