Benton. He rejoins Spencer Rattler in South Carolina after having 654 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his career. Here is a look at the Top 10 College Football Tight Ends January 2023 rankings: Honorable Mention Thomas Yassmin School: Utah Utes NFL Draft Status: Returning to Utah His speed was on full display and he is poised for a big season in 2022. For all intents and purposes, he is a tight end. 16 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he played all nine of his NFL seasons. Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders: The sophomore rounds out the top three and is living up to his five-star hype. These players who were once considered extra blockers who could maybe catch a handful of passes have become true offensive weapons. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end emerged with an 83.6 PFF grade in his 2019 sophomore campaign and looked like he was taking his play to new heights in 2020. Tight end is absolutely not one of them. Let us know on Twitter (@AthlonSports), using the hashtag #AthlonTE30. Shannon Sharpe 5. During the 2022 college football season and early into draft prep, it was commonly thought that Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer had a first round draft grade and would be the first tight end selected. Rose Bowl, Jan. 2, 2017: USC 52, Penn State 49. Jaheim Bell WILL NOT BE DENIED! He returns after catching 38 passes for 437 yards and two touchdowns. Here are the top 10 tight ends returning to college football next season. 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. ???? 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. Brevyn Spann-Ford is 270 pounds and doing this ???? Minnesota's Brevyn Spann-Ford: The redshirt senior is one of the most well-rounded tight ends returning in 2023. 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. The Best Receiving Tight Ends Of All Time - Ranker Yassmin is expected to return for his senior season while taking over for Kinkaid. He became a three-time All-American at Notre Dame while capping his career with a national championship alongside quarterback Joe Montana in 1977, the same year MacAfee was also third in Heisman Trophy voting. Bottom line: Tight ends were not considered a viable receiving option in the 1960s despite the rules of football being essentially the same they are now but Elon's Rich McGeorge was a player out of time when it came to his position. 22. Should the Celtics Be Worrying About Jayson Tatum? There's little he can't do on a football field. 13. Still, his 1,099 receiving yards and 596 yards after the catch over the past two seasons trail only Brock Bowers among returning Power Five tight ends. George Bryan, NC State (2008-11): 126 rec, 1,323 yds, 17 TDs57. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Hell test his talents in the SEC next season with Ole Miss. I don't want to hear it. Bottom line: Brent Jones came to Santa Clara as a lightly recruited wide receiver who also played on the baseball team. Related: The Top 50 Running Backs of the BCS Era, 21. Yassmin is expected to return for his senior season while taking over for Kinkaid. Much. No matter what the Golden Gophers asked of him, Spann-Ford delivered. He was selected as the No. 4 overall pick the highest drafted tight end in NFL history. Florida went 26-2 over his last two years in Gainesville. Meanwhile Bowers is just a sophomore leaving him to return to the Bulldogs for another season while looking to lead them to a third straight National Championship game. LaPorta drew consideration for the 10th spot as he will enter his senior season with 94 catches for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns. He scored 25 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter from 2007-08 just eight shy of the NCAA tight end record (33). Leonard Pope, Georgia (2003-05): 65 rec., 1,044 yds, 10 TDs52. He delivered on that promise by setting Notre Dame's career record for tight ends with 180 receptions and doing so in just three seasons. At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Washington is a matchup problem. Hudson played two seasons in the USFL and one season in the NFL before he retired from football. He will try to reclaim that old form as he reunites with quarterback Spencer Rattler and head coach Shane Beamer at South Carolina. The numbers were never huge, but Witten is clearly one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the sport. Born: Nov. 5, 1957 (East St. Louis, Illinois), High School: East St. Louis Senior High School (East St. Louis, Illinois), Career highlights: AP All-American (1978), two-time All-Big Eight (1977-78), four-time NFL All-Pro (1980-82, 1987), five-time Pro Bowl (1980-83, 1987), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team, College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame. : https://t.co/vWglww6POD #ForksUp | #Pac12FB pic.twitter.com/15Krz25Msp, Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 12, 2022. His 2,901 career receiving yards are an NCAA record for tight ends. Bottom line: Dennis Pitta was a BYU walk-on wide receiver who converted to tight end during a grayshirt year in 2003. 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. Kellen Winslow, Miami (2001-03)Stats: 119 rec., 1,365 yds, 9 TDs. Tony Gonzalez 2. Chase Coffman, Missouri (2005-08)Stats: 247 rec., 2,659 yds, 30 TDs. Reminder: This was only his third year of playing football. But after a disappointing true freshman season that ended in injury and a regime change, Trigg lands in Oxford. 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. James Whalen, Kentucky (1997-99): 120 rec., 1,324 yds, 13 TDs48. These are the greatest tight ends to ever play college football. Bowers already has 119 receptions for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns through two seasons but has also rushed for four touchdowns. The Hall of Fame tight end deserves the same accolades for his time as the Baltimore Ravens general manager. Colby Parkinson was a five-star out of the class of 2018 before . Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss (2005-08): 157 rec., 2,054 yds, 16 TDs45. Dustin Keller, Purdue (2004-07)Stats: 142 rec., 1,882 yds, 16 TDs29. 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. There is not a better college tight end than Bowers. Tony Gonzalez is the greatest tight end in NFL history. He is the schools all-time leading receiver at the tight end position and consistently made big plays for his offense. Gary Barnidge, Louisville (2004-07): 108 rec., 1,491 yds, 17 TDs54. College Football 2021: Top Tight Ends and Safeties to Watch Few tight ends during the BCS era combine the statistical production, team success and overall NFL talent that Pitta did. In addition, Washington ranks 12th among Power Five tight ends in run-blocking grade since coming to Athens as a five-star recruit in 2020. Jalen Carter: College football career stats, records | NCAA.com Coby Fleener, Stanford (2008-11): 96 rec., 1,543 yds, 18 TDs33. 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. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington (2011-present)Stats: 109 rec., 1,396 yds, 13 TDs. 18. Will Levis of Kentucky joins other players hoping to be drafted when the second round begins Friday. 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) Not only does he provide a good pass-catcher, he also blocks well. Tim Stratton, Purdue (1998-2001)Stats: 190 rec., 1,976 yds, 15 TDs27. Mallory has had two straight seasons with at least 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the Hurricanes. 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? Miami has been one of the top tight end programs in college football for a long time. Drake Maye throws a DART to Nesbit and this game is TIED ???????? He was once again the most valuable tight end in the nation this past season and led the position in receiving yards (942), yards after the catch (479) and receiving yards after contact (274). All three of those metrics ranked inside the top five among FBS tight ends. 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. He had 71 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021. They can control a game with their blocking on the edge, often matched up with the other team's best pass rusher, and use their elite size and speed to expose linebackers and safeties downfield. His season-ending knee injury prior to the start of his 2009 campaign left those in Norman wondering what could have been. From a speed and agility standpoint, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound pass-catcher has few peers. , 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. Kory Sperry, Colorado State (2004-08): 141 rec., 1,763 yds, 20 TDs58. Not giving in. Ross became the first Northeastern player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. As Aidan OConnell emerged at quarterback for the Boilermakers last season, Durham provided a good, reliable target. The sophomore rounds out the top three and is living up to his five-star hype. And the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Coffman was a huge part of that success. He was poised to set NCAA records for a tight end until a broken leg in Week 6 ended his college career. 2 on C.J. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. The 6-foot 5-inch tight end is a mismatch at the position for linebackers while also being a proven red zone threat.