He began to live up to that billing in his sophomore season, catching 32 combined first downs and touchdowns in 2022, which trailed only. From a speed and agility standpoint, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound pass-catcher has few peers. Now that he is with Lane Kiffin, Trigg is expected to put up bigger numbers, so expect to see him rise up this list once he gets some work. A group that includes George Kittle of San Francisco and possibly Sam LaPorta. His season-ending knee injury prior to the start of his 2009 campaign left those in Norman wondering what could have been. Gamble spent the first part of his college career at Florida, but has now transferred to UCF. For NFL teams however another year will have to come and go as Bowers is just a sophomore and will have to return for his junior season. Bell was one of the best players on the Gamecocks last season with 30 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns. Ford finished the 2022 season pulling in 33 catches for 434 yards to go along with three touchdown receptions. Stogner was in the midst of a breakout sophomore 2020 season before suffering an injury in Week 10 that led to a staph infection. 84 jersey retired immediately following his final game. He posted a 75.0 PFF grade in 2021, 4.28 yards per route run and 8.3 yards after the catch per reception while hauling in both of his contested opportunities. While he may not start or play a traditional tight end position, Gilbert has a ton of talent. The Bulldogs tight end lists at 6 foot 7 inches while also showcasing solid power and speed to make him a mismatch against NFL linebackers. For the Pirates, he had 37 receptions for 442 yards and five touchdowns. There is some projecting with ASJ, but he has already broken most school tight end records and will make a push this fall for the John Mackey Award. He didnt have the huge stats of other elite players but he was an All-American and helped Miami win the national title in 2001. He lost playing time and then decided to transfer to Texas, following Steve Sarkisian. Few tight ends during the BCS era combine the statistical production, team success and overall NFL talent that Pitta did. Michael Egnew, Missouri (2008-11): 147 rec., 1,332 yds, 8 TDs44. As a sophomore at Arkansas State, his 89.6 receiving grade ranked fourth among all tight ends in the country, and his 340 yards after the catch tied for the fourth most. The 2021 four-star recruit began his career at USC, where he hoped to play for the football and basketball teams (he fielded multiple hoops offers from notable Division I programs). Two years in a row Michigan has won the award. Jones became a household name during his NFL career while catching passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young for the San Francisco 49ers in the late 1980s and 1990s, winning three Super Bowls and earning three NFL All-Pro selections. Stroud. He is the best player on the best team in college football. last year Head to head, Georgia s line was much better. Before the major injury and infection, Stogner owned an 87.3 receiving grade while putting up 2.72 yards per route run and a 15-plus yard gain on 32% of his targets. Jacob Tamme, Kentucky (2004-07): 133 rec., 1,417 yds, 11 TDs40. Willis finished the season with four games with at least 50 yards including his five catch 102-yard performance in the teams 52-42 win over 19th ranked Kansas Jayhawks back in October. He claimed the Mackey Award as a junior, was an All-American and helped Clemson win its first ACC title in two decades in 2010. Jonny Harline, BYU (2005-06): 121 rec., 1,788 yds, 17 TDs42. Jimmy Graham 16. He was the only tight end in the top 15 of yards per route run with a double-digit average depth of target. Travis Kelce 12. @ASUFootball's Jalin Conyers gets the Sun Devils on the board. However, it wasnt just his elite receiving ability that made the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder one of the games best. Michael Mayer, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Jalen Carter: College football career stats, records | NCAA.com He still impressed as a pass catcher, though, as his 110 receiving yards after contact ranked 11th among Power Five tight ends. 2023 NFL Draft | Who are the top players for Day 3? The Panthers took Bryce Young at No. Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. RELATED: Stadium Talk's 2022 High School All-American Team, Born: Feb. 12, 1963 (San Jose, California), High School: Leland High School (San Jose, California), Career highlights: NCAA Division II Team of the Quarter Century (2000), three-time All-WFC (1983-85), WFC Offensive Player of the Year (1985), AP All-American (1985), four-time Pro Bowl (1992-95), East-West Shrine Game (1985), three-time NFL All-Pro (1992-94), three-time Super Bowl champion (1993, 1995, 1996), College Football Hall of Fame. Here are the top 10 tight ends returning to college football next season. He earned All-Big Ten recognition as a sophomore and then became the nations top tight end as a junior in 2002. High School: Fort Morgan High School (Fort Morgan, Colorado), Career highlights: John Mackey Award (2021), two-time AP All-American (2020, 2021), three-time All-Mountain West (2019-21). Austin Stogner, South Carolina Gamecocks. While the catches were not there, Yassmin made up for it with his big play potential while averaging 23.2 yards per catch over the course of the season. The Louisville Cardinals football program is loaded with potential NFL draft prospects as the 2022 NCAA Football season ends.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_11',129,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); While all eyes will be on Malik Cunningham at quarterback, one player who will go under the radar is Marshon Ford. The Greatest Tight Ends Of All Time #2 of 25 on The Best NFL Tight Ends of the 2000s #6 of 57 on The Best College Football Tight Ends of All Time Photo: Wikimedia Commons 3 926 VOTES Marshal Yanda Announced retirement: March 11, 2020 Career achievements Super Bowl XLVII champion 8x Pro Bowl selection (2011-2016, 2018-2019) Bottom line: Kellen Winslow didn't even play football until his senior year at powerhouse East St. Louis Senior High. David Thomas, Texas (2002-05): 97 rec., 1,354 yds, 15 TDs37. He was arguably the top playmaker for a Big 12 champion and BCS National Championship runner-up that year as well. 6. Having a tight end like All, who can be clutch, really helps Michigans chances in 2022. As a sophomore, he led all tight ends with 3.67 yards per route run. Here are the top 25 college football tight ends heading into the 2022 season. South Carolina has some nice new pieces coming in and with Bell could improve from last season. He has also broken nine tackles after the catch on 17 career receptions. Ladarius Green, UL-Lafayette (2008-11): 148 rec., 2,202 yds, 22 TDs47. Ibn Green, Louisville (1996-99): 217 rec., 2,830 yds, 33 TDs43. All three of those metrics ranked inside the top five among FBS tight ends. Other top College Football tight ends include Michael Mayer of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Sam LaPorta of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and Payne Durham of the Purdue Boilermakers. Fastest Tight End 40 Times in NFL Combine History Its officially time to hit the reset button. Note: While projection of what a player can be is taken into account, most rankings are from what has been seen on the field so far. It took some time for Davis to develop, especially considering the wide receiver talent asking for the football at USC during his career. He had two seasons with over 900 receiving yards at Northeastern as a junior and as a senior and had his No. His All-American junior season features Sooners' tight end records for yards (950) and touchdowns (14) one shy of Mark Claytons all-time single-season record regardless of position. After not playing a lot at Penn State, Kuntz transferred to Old Dominion. Kenny Pickett is now in the NFL, so Bartholomew will be one of new quarterback Kedon Sloviss favorite targets. That is the case with Jamal Turner who should be mentioned alongside the best tight ends in College Football. When you look at the teams that have won national championships in recent memory, it's not hard to look at their rosters and pick out dynamic tight ends who helped them get to that level here's a look at the greatest college football tight ends in history. Had the 6-foot-6, 260-pound star tight end stayed healthy and played his fourth season at Oklahoma, Gresham likely would have been the best player at his position during the BCS era. He lost 35 pounds during the brutal recovery process, and he struggled to regain that breakout level of play when he returned in 2021. Michael Mayer was pegged as a tight end who would dominate in college and in the NFL when he was still at Covington Catholic High in Park Hills, Kentucky. This year against a common opponent, TCU, whos offensive line played better? He lost 35 pounds during the brutal recovery process, and he struggled to regain that breakout level of play when he returned in 2021. He scored 25 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter from 2007-08 just eight shy of the NCAA tight end record (33). 2023 NFL Draft: Best Undrafted Free Agents. June 16, 2021 7 min read. He posted back-to-back 900-yard seasons and saved his best games for the biggest competition (9 rec., 140 yds vs. Ohio State, 10 rec., 132 vs. Michigan State, for example). 2022 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 25 tight ends Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Spann-Ford is arguably the most well-rounded tight end returning to college football. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He was the No. His career numbers are excellent and he was extremely dependable for three full seasons for the Hogs. Tim Stratton, Purdue (1998-2001)Stats: 190 rec., 1,976 yds, 15 TDs27. Mayer had a poor Combine performance finishing with the third-slowest 40-yard time (4.70), third-shortest vertical jump (32.50 inches), and the fifth . in 2022. While the catches were not there, Yassmin made up for it with his big play potential while averaging 23.2 yards per catch over the course of the season. Ben Watson, Georgia (2001-03): 65 rec., 852 yds, 6 TDs60. While many of the players on Cincinnatis roster decided to head to the pros from last season, Whyle returned. High School: Moorpark High School (Moorpark, California), Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2008, 2009), three-time All-Mountain West (2007-09), Super Bowl champion (2013). At a school known for elite All-American tight ends, Beckum was the most explosive, most talented and most productive. Joshua Simon, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was one of three Mackey finalists in 2006. The dynamic in-state talent was a first-round pick and proved in the NFL that his college career was no fluke. Myers, Fiedorowicz and Titley all made first-team All-Big Ten, but Slutzker had a more impressive body of work, while Moeaki was arguably the best tight end on the list when healthy. off to the NFL, Nesbit could have a massive year as Heisman-candidate quarterback, Working against Stover as a receiver is the fact that he plays with, best returning wide receivers in college football. He rejoins Spencer Rattler in South Carolina after having 654 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his career. 1. His accomplishments are unmatched by any other player in the position as he dominated for nearly . Washington, who is often overlooked based on the fact Bowers is on the team, has all the tangibles to be a great tight end at the next level. However, that wasnt the case, but the Oklahoma Sooners senior tight end didnt disappoint during the 2022 NCAA Football Schedule. Bottom line: Dennis Pitta was a BYU walk-on wide receiver who converted to tight end during a grayshirt year in 2003. Career Touchdowns: 20 Entering Year: 6 George Krieger Kittle (born October 9, 1993) is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Ranking the top 10 Michigan football tight ends since 1995 Teams Big Ten Iowa Michigan St. Nebraska Ohio St. Penn St. Rutgers Wisconsin SEC Alabama Arkansas Auburn Florida Georgia LSU. Ringo is rated 47th overall and . Miller gets a slight nod over fellow Sun Devil Todd Heap due to slightly better production and All-American recognition. Dennis Pitta, BYU (2004, '07-09)Stats: 221 rec., 2,901 yds, 21 TDs. After two straight All-Big 12 seasons, Coffman claimed the John Mackey Award as a senior as the nations top tight end after posting 90 receptions, 987 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008. Cody Slate, Marshall (2006-09): 199 rec., 2,619 yds, 23 TDs50. Now that we know who will continue playing on Saturdays next fall, let's take an early look at the top returning players at every position. Hell test his talents in the SEC next season with Ole Miss. 2. Ford has consistently improved over his Louisville career and is now a star. Mayer had more catches in just 12 games played than Bowers did in 15. Find out with this list of the best 25 tight ends in NFL history: 1 of 25 25. Georgia's Brock Bowers: The reigning John Mackey Award winner is easily the best returning tight end in college football. He had 43 receptions for 658 yards and three touchdowns. 25. ???? Tony Gonzalez 2. Will Levis of Kentucky joins other players hoping to be drafted when the second round begins Friday. LaPorta drew consideration for the 10th spot as he will enter his senior season with 94 catches for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns. All-Time College Football Team: Tight End - Bleacher Report Over the years the Iowa Hawkeyes have been known to produce big play caliber tight ends who can not only produce at the college level but at the NFL level. Miller was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft and helped lead the team to two Super Bowl wins in 11 seasons. Gonzalez left Cal with one year of eligibility remaining and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of 1997 NFL Draft. He began to live up to that billing in his sophomore season, catching 32 combined first downs and touchdowns in 2022, which trailed only Dalton Kincaid, Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers among FBS tight ends. John Mackey 10. 198 games - 7,980 yards (12.1 ypc), 662 catches, 47 touchdowns. The 6-foot 5-inch tight end is a mismatch at the position for linebackers while also being a proven red zone threat. In 2021, he had 50 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns. Bottom line: Over 40 years since he finished his All-American career at Northeastern, Dan Ross still holds school records for career receptions (143), single-season receptions (68), career receiving yards (2,343) and single-season receiving yards (988). As a true freshman in 2021, Bowers was the highest-graded Power Five tight end and the most valuable player at the position in college football, according to PFFs wins above average metric. His 2,901 career receiving yards are an NCAA record for tight ends. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Two of those talented tight ends that stand out are the Utah Utes Dalton Kincaid and the Georgia Bulldogs Brock Bowers. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin (2007-09)Stats: 121 rec., 1,492 yds, 16 TD, Related: The Top 50 Wide Receivers of the BCS Era, 31. He had a season-ending knee injury in 2021, but had 73 yards and a touchdown catch in his only game played. MacAfee went to dental school and moved back to Massachusetts, where he opened up his own practice. 54 receptions | 613 receiving yards | 5 receiving touchdowns | Averaged 11.4 YPC. Todd Heap, Arizona State (1998-2000)Stats: 112 rec., 1,658 yds, 10 TDs In at number 10 on the Top 10 College Football Tight Ends January 2023 rankings list is the Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Cameron Latu.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'fanrankings_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-fanrankings_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); The Crimson Tide who have been long known for producing high caliber players has succeeded once again with senior tight end Cameron Latu. Born: Nov. 10, 1986 (Lee's Summit, Missouri), High School: Raymore-Peculiar High School (Peculiar, Missouri), Career highlights: John Mackey Award (2008), AP All-American (2008), three-time All-Big 12 (2006-08). Affectionately known as Thor, no other tight end during the BCS era was as versatile and productive in two seasons as Casey. So all factors were considered when trying to determine who the greatest tight ends of the BCS era have been. pic.twitter.com/WY3Rm2RJVj, Joe Broback (@joebroback) October 23, 2022. He had seven catches for 109 yards and one touchdown.