Top 10 returning tight ends entering the 2025 season

by
  • Eli Stowers leads the way: The quarterback-turned-Vanderbilt star is the top returning tight end in college football.
  • Four transfers in the top 10: The transfer portal was rich at the tight end position, as four of the top 10 players found new homes this offseason.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

With the 2024 college football season in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to 2025 by ranking the top returning players at every position. 

Up next is tight end. The theme of this list is transfers. Four of our top 10 players switched schools this offseason. 

Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning tight ends in college football, in addition to an honorable mention. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.

Click below to view our other position rankings

QB | RB | WR

1. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

Once a four-star quarterback recruit, Stowers has made the transition to tight end look seamless. No returning tight end in college football has been as valuable as him over the past two seasons, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

The New Mexico State transfer is an elite athlete, placing above the 99th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. That movement ability makes him especially dangerous after the catch, as Stowers ranked third among Power Four tight ends with 13 forced missed tackles and fourth in yards after the catch (373) this past year. He and quarterback Diego Pavia will form the nation’s best quarterback-tight end pairing next season.

2. Jack Endries, Cal

Endries began his career with the Golden Bears as a walk-on and is now one of the best tight ends in the nation entering his redshirt junior campaign. 

His 1,030 receiving yards since 2023 rank sixth at the position and first among returning tight ends who have played for a Power Four school during that span. Endries has strong hands for the position, dropping only one pass in 2024 while catching nine of his 12 contested targets. 

Jack Endries: Career PFF Grades
Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database!

3. Max Klare, Ohio State

The first of four transfers on this list, Klare is back in his home state of Ohio after a very productive season at Purdue. He tallied 684 receiving yards as a redshirt sophomore, the fourth most among Power Four tight ends and the most among returners at the position. Klare’s 34 combined receiving first downs and touchdowns are tied with Stowers for the most among returning Power Four tight ends.

After serving as the clear No. 1 option for the Boilermakers, he could thrive in a Buckeyes offense where defenses will key in on other weapons, most notably the best returning player in college football, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

4. Justin Joly, NC State

Joly transferred to NC State from UConn last year and remained one of the top receiving threats at tight end despite the jump in competition level. His 661 receiving yards this past season ranked fifth among Power Four tight ends, and he placed sixth in the FBS in contested catches (11) and forced missed tackles (12).

Joly’s 1,247 receiving yards since 2023 are the third most among tight ends, trailing only Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren. He’s an elite athlete at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, allowing him to separate at an elite level. 

5. Tanner Koziol, Wisconsin

After a stellar junior season at Ball State, Koziol transferred to Wisconsin for his senior campaign. No returning FBS tight end was more valuable in 2024 than the Illinois native, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 94 catches trailed only Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren — two top-100 prospects on PFF’s 2025 big board — at the position, and his 840 receiving yards were the fifth most.

At 6-foot-7, Koziol thrives in 50-50 situations. His 26 contested catches last year were nine more than any other tight end in college football.

6. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

While Sadiq served as the Ducks’ No. 2 tight end as a sophomore, playing behind Terrance Ferguson, what he showed on a limited workload warrants a spot on this list.

His 80.9 PFF overall grade this past season ranked ninth among all tight ends, and the Idaho native was also one of two tight ends who earned top-15 grades both as a receiver and as a run blocker. The other was Harold Fannin Jr., a top-100 prospect on PFF’s 2025 big board.

Across only 350 snaps, Sadiq finished as one of the 15 most valuable tight ends in college football, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He’s the biggest breakout candidate at the position and should become a household name next year. 

Kenyon Sadiq: 2024 PFF Grades
Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database!

7. Miles Kitselman, Tennessee

Following a year at the JUCO level and two seasons at Alabama as a backup, Kitselman broke out in his senior year after transferring to Tennessee. 

He finished 2024 as the seventh-most valuable tight end in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, and ranks fourth among returners at the position. Kitselman was also one of four tight ends in college football with top-25 PFF grades as a receiver and a run blocker. He hasn’t dropped a pass in his college career and is capable of displacing defenders in the run game at 256 pounds. 

8. Jack Velling, Michigan State

Velling entered 2024 as PFF’s No. 8 tight end in college football and remains in that spot a year later. While his first season as a Spartan wasn’t as productive as his sophomore campaign at Oregon State, his body of work over the past two years keeps him in the top 10. 

Velling has scored nine touchdowns since 2023, tied for the fifth most among Power Four tight ends. His 849 receiving yards in that span rank 20th among all tight ends in college football. Only five returning FBS tight ends have been more valuable than Velling, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

9. Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech

Carter is the crown jewel of the Red Raiders’ lauded transfer portal class. The Louisiana transfer’s 86.4 PFF overall grade over the past two seasons ranks third among FBS tight ends, behind only Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren — two top-100 prospects on PFF’s 2025 big board.

He’s proven to be incredibly dangerous after the catch, placing third this past season with 18 forced missed tackles and fourth with 606 yards after the catch since 2023. Only four returning FBS tight ends were more valuable than Carter this past season, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. While he’s not a dominant run blocker right now, Carter is an extremely athletic tight end who should be one of Texas Tech’s top weapons next year.

10. Luke Hasz, Ole Miss

The fourth and final transfer in the top 10, Hasz is staying in the SEC after departing Arkansas for Ole Miss. 

His 82.3 PFF receiving grade across his first two seasons ranks 10th among all tight ends in college football and fourth among returners at the position. Hasz has generated a 147.7 passer rating when targeted in that span, third best among FBS tight ends. He’s a very good athlete at 241 pounds who has yet to drop a pass in his college career. 

Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database!

Honorable Mention: RJ Maryland, SMU

Maryland looked like one of the best tight ends in college football before a torn ACL ended his 2024 season after seven games. His 2.7 yards per route run average trailed only Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren — two top-100 prospects on PFF’s 2025 big board — among FBS tight ends. 

Despite missing half a season, Maryland has racked up 877 receiving yards since 2023 — the seventh most among returning tight ends in college football. He has plenty of room for improvement as a blocker, he at least made some strides in that department as a junior, earning a 55.9 PFF run-blocking grade. Maryland should again be Kevin Jennings’ favorite target when he’s fully healthy.



Source link

Read More

Visit Our Site

Read our previous article: Nelly Las interview: Leicester City Women’s 17-year-old star on causing chaos in the WSL after whirlwind rise | Football News

Sports Update: . Stay tuned for more updates on Top 10 returning tight ends entering the 2025 season and other trending sports news!

Your Thoughts Matter! What’s your opinion on Top 10 returning tight ends entering the 2025 season? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion!

Leave a Comment