60 Greatest Tight Ends in NFL History | Stadium Talk The redshirt seniors 82.5 run-blocking grade in 2022 ranked second among FBS tight ends, while his 82.1 receiving grade placed eighth. Kellen Winslow, Miami (2001-03)Stats: 119 rec., 1,365 yds, 9 TDs. The Panthers took Bryce Young at No. Should the Celtics Be Worrying About Jayson Tatum? 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. The 2021 four-star recruit began his career at, The past few years have been a roller coaster for Gilbert. His 613 receiving yards also trailed only Bowers among returning Power Five tight ends. Latu was able to take the job from Jahleel Billingsley last season. Bottom line: In 2020, Kyle Pitts had one of the great statistical seasons in Florida history for a tight end, with 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. Austin Stogner, South Carolina Gamecocks. Fan Rankings is a registered trademark of Fan Rankings LLC. Ford has consistently improved over his Louisville career and is now a star. Bottom line: Chase Coffman seemed like he was going to be a transcendent tight end during his time at the University of Missouri, where the Lee's Summit, Missouri, native capped his career by winning the John Mackey Award as a senior in 2008. B/R CFB 150: Top 16 Tight Ends - Bleacher Report Bottom line: Jay Novacek started his career at Wyoming as a wide receiver before moving to tight end as a sophomore neither were particularly appealing options on a team that ran the wishbone offense at the time. Bowers already has 119 receptions for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns through two seasons but has also rushed for four touchdowns. Gilbert is expected to suit up for the Dawgs in 2022 and already turned heads this past spring. He wrote his name into the school and conference record books for receiving by a tight end, setting a new benchmark in all three major receiving categories despite only playing three seasons. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. As a sophomore, he led all tight ends with 3.67 yards per route run. The walk-on began his career as a linebacker but quickly developed into a star at tight end. Born: April 19, 1965 (Little Rock, Arkansas), High School: Parkview High School (Little Rock, Arkansas), Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1986, 1987), National Champion (1985), NFL All-Rookie Team (1988), six-time Pro Bowl (1988-90, 1992, 1994, 1996), four-time NFL All-Pro (1988-90, 1992, 1996), NFC Rookie of the Year (1988), Super Bowl champion (1997), NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (2013), College Football Hall of Fame. Its officially time to hit the reset button. He has also broken nine tackles after the catch on 17 career receptions. His speed was on full display and he is poised for a big season in 2022. Notre Dame was at their best when they targeted Mayer in 2021. Williams, Arkansas (2007-10)Stats: 152 rec., 1,855 yds, 10 TDs. . In the college game, that means players who may have been taller wide receivers in high school but also show the ability to pack on muscle become tight ends. Sometimes, you simply know greatness when you see it. He has two straight seasons of over 300 receiving yards and it could be argued that he is not utilized as much as he should be. 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. Texas JaTavion Sanders: The sophomore rounds out the top three and is living up to his five-star hype. He had two seasons with over 900 receiving yards at Northeastern as a junior and as a senior and had his No. These are the greatest tight ends in football history. Yurosek finished the season with 49 catches for 445 yards and one touchdown reception. To be fair, a top 10 list just doesn't do justice to some of the greatest tight ends of all time. George Bryan, NC State (2008-11): 126 rec, 1,323 yds, 17 TDs57. Oh, and dont forget about his willingness to block an underrated aspect of his game. This year against a common opponent, TCU, whos offensive line played better? As the Monarchs transition to the Sun Belt, Kuntz can prove to be one of the best players in the conference. He actually played some running back for the Gamecocks this past year, as his 257 rushing yards led all tight ends in the country. As a tight end, he made the 1980s All-Decade Team alongside Kellen Winslow Sr. Newsome produced two 1,000-yard seasons in his career and twice caught 89 passes. Ford finished the 2022 season pulling in 33 catches for 434 yards to go along with three touchdown receptions. 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. 7. His career culminated in a John Mackey Award in 2010 and helped lead Arkansas to 10 wins and a Sugar Bowl berth. Football Greatest College Football Tight Ends of All Time By Tony Adame on February 27, 2023 Ashley Landis / AP Photo In the last 30 years, the tight end position has changed the game of football. Spann-Ford is arguably the most well-rounded tight end returning to college football. 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. In a testament to how little NFL players were being paid in the late 1970s, MacAfee retired from football instead of moving to offensive guard following two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. Trigg had a solid freshman season for USC, albeit in four games played. Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame (2008-10)Stats: 90 rec., 1,032 yds, 8 TDs, 22. 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. Stanford under David Shaw has made itself a destination location for tight ends on the recruiting trail. He had 43 receptions for 658 yards and three touchdowns. Top 10 College Football Team Rankings 2022-2023, Top 10 College Football Player Rankings 2022-2023, Top 10 Freshman Football Players 2022-2023 Rankings, Top 10 College Football Quarterbacks 2022-2023 Rankings, Top 10 College Football Running Backs 2022-2023 Rankings, Top 10 College Football Wide Receivers 2022-2023 Rankings. Ford who is one of the Top Tight Ends in all of College Football. He is one of the few offensive weapons returning, so he will have to help a new quarterback get comfortable in 2022. After dazzling in his 2020 true freshman campaign with. Hes the reigning John Mackey Award winner, given to the best tight end in college football. Nesbit was more of a downfield threat than most tight ends. Ross became the first Northeastern player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. There are some positions where the best returning college player is debatable. The 2022 college football season has come and gone, and so has the deadline to enter the, There are some positions where the best returning college player is debatable. He set school records in all three major categories for a tight end that year and helped UCLA to its best record (10-2) since 1998. After an underwhelming first two years on campus, All is starting to finally develop into the player Michigan was expecting. He scored 25 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter from 2007-08 just eight shy of the NCAA tight end record (33). 2. David Thomas, Texas (2002-05): 97 rec., 1,354 yds, 15 TDs37. Here are the Top 30 tight ends since the BCS was implemented in 1998: Agree or disagree with our ranking of College Football's Top 30 Tight Ends of the BCS Era? Durham had a good 2021 season with 45 receptions for 467 yards and six touchdowns. Kincaid is one of two Utah tight ends who produce a lot. He began to live up to that billing in his sophomore season, catching 32 combined first downs and touchdowns in 2022, which trailed only. He played a small role on the national championship team in 2001 and was a huge force 57 rec., 726 yds, 8 TD on the '02 team that was defeated by Ohio State in the title game. 13 greatest tight ends of all time from Tony Gonzalez to Jackie Smith ???? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This year, as a true sophomore, hes quite easily the best returning tight end in college football, as he earned a 91.7 PFF receiving grade in 2021 while generating 3.14 yards per route run. Perhaps the greatest tight end in ACC history, Miller became the first player in league history to win the John Mackey Award in 2004. PFF 2022 Preseason John Mackey Award Watch List: Most outstanding tight 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. , 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. Born: July 6, 2001 (Independence, Kentucky), High School: Covington Catholic High School (Park Hills, Kentucky), Career highlights: Two-time AP All-American (2021, 2022), All-ACC (2020). 2023 NFL Draft prospects: Ranking top tight ends in this year's draft I don't want to hear it. While he lacks the numbers of a few of the other tight ends on the list, Latu has all the tangibles that a great tight end requires. Ladarius Green, UL-Lafayette (2008-11): 148 rec., 2,202 yds, 22 TDs47. Willis finished the season pulling in 39 catches for 514 yards to go along with seven touchdown receptions. He had 26 receptions for 410 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. A Complete Rankings On The Best Tight Ends Of All Time - Scott Fujita 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 19. Miami has been one of the top tight end programs in college football for a long time. Travis Beckum, Wisconsin (2005-08)Stats: 159 rec., 2,149 yds, 11 TDs. His season-ending knee injury prior to the start of his 2009 campaign left those in Norman wondering what could have been. Bennie Joppru, Michigan (1999-2002): 79 rec., 731 yds, 8 TDs, Top 50s of the BCS Era:The Top 50 Quarterbacks of the BCS Era Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Stogner was in the midst of a breakout sophomore 2020 season before suffering an injury in Week 10 that led to a staph infection. 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. Gavin Escobar, San Diego State (2010-12): 122 rec., 1,646 yds, 17 TDs46. Bowers is, 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. 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. has just dropped, and in conjunction with that is an expansion of PFFs preseason positional rankings that will be rolled out over the next couple of weeks. 15. The 6-foot 6-inch tight end has the size to make him a mismatch and the physical traits to help him excel at the next level. All three of those metrics ranked inside the top five among FBS tight ends. in 2022. He was also selected to 14 Pro Bowls, second-most among all players. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end looks to impose his will in the running game, recording five big-time run-blocks en route to a 76.4 run-block grade this past season. Ron Gronkowski, Arizona (2007-08)Stats: 75 rec., 1,197 yds, 16 TDs. Antonio Gates 4. He actually played some running back for the Gamecocks this past year, as his 257 rushing yards led all tight ends in the country. MacAfee went to dental school and moved back to Massachusetts, where he opened up his own practice. The latter ranked eighth among Power Five tight ends with at least 200 such snaps. After helping the Golden Gophers win nine games last season, he will try to do the same this season. 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. Coffman still holds the NCAA career record for receptions by a tight end with 247. George Kittle Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports The 2019 All-Pro tight end is one of the toughest players to. 4. pic.twitter.com/WY3Rm2RJVj, Joe Broback (@joebroback) October 23, 2022. Zach Miller, Arizona State (2004-06)Stats: 144 rec., 1,512 yds, 14 TDs Born: Oct. 24, 1962 (Martin, South Dakota), High School: Gothenburg High School (Gothenburg, Nebraska), Career highlights: All-WAC (1984), two-time NFL All-Pro (1991, 1992), three-time Super Bowl champion (1993, 1995, 1996), five-time Pro Bowl (1991-95), College Football Hall of Fame. Statistical production, individual awards, team success, longevity, supporting cast, level of competition, raw talent and athletic ability all factor heavily in determining overall greatness. Kincaid, who is expected to be a high draft pick during the 2023 NFL draft is coming off a 70 catch, 890 receiving yards and eight touchdown season. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington (2011-present)Stats: 109 rec., 1,396 yds, 13 TDs. His 2,901 career receiving yards are an NCAA record for tight ends. Ozzie Newsome 9. Kenny Pickett is now in the NFL, so Bartholomew will be one of new quarterback Kedon Sloviss favorite targets. Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern (2007-11): 143 rec., 1,567 yds, 14 TDs55. He not only is a good tight end that can help Utah compete for a Pac-12 Championship, he is also coveted as an NFL tight end. 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. Hudson still holds NCAA career records for a tight end for catches per game (5.4) and receiving yards per game (75.3), and he set the single-game NCAA receiving record for tight ends with 13 receptions for 259 yards against archrival Utah in 1981. Rank below to be added in the NCAA Power Rankings, For new posts and be up to date to win $50 to Fanatics or Amazon. The numbers were never huge, but Witten is clearly one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the sport. With the 115th pick, the Chicago Bears . These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Todd Christensen 17. Bryant was no one-year wonder, either, with 408 receiving yards as a sophomore and 662 receiving yards as a junior. With his talent and size, Winslow would have been a star in any era he played. Authors David Kenyon, Brian Pedersen and Barrett Sallee have studied, ranked and graded the top athletes in the country, narrowed that list down and sorted it by position. Related:The Top 50 Quarterbacks of the BCS Era, 11. pic.twitter.com/4qNxh5pN8f, FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 28, 2021. Not giving in. Minnesotas Brevyn Spann-Ford: The redshirt senior is one of the most well-rounded tight ends returning in 2023. BROCK BOWERS, GEORGIA BULLDOGS Bowers was in the conversation for best tight end in college football despite being a true freshman this past season. Hes a freak athlete at 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, and he is the early favorite to be TE2 in the 2024 draft behind Bowers. 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). He leads the NFL in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end all time. Andrews was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round for the 2018 NFL Draft and made three Pro Bowls through his first five seasons and was an NFL All-Pro in 2021. Darius Hill, Ball State (2005-08): 158 rec., 2,473 yds, 31 TDs39. Bowers will be the top tight end on this list when the new lists come out this spring/summer. Mackey followed that up with 90 receptions for 1,121 yards in 2021 on the way to becoming Colorado State's first unanimous All-American all despite scoring just one touchdown. He had a season-ending knee injury in 2021, but had 73 yards and a touchdown catch in his only game played. At a school known for elite All-American tight ends, Beckum was the most explosive, most talented and most productive. 16 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he played all nine of his NFL seasons.