Tight ends sometimes come at a premium within the switch portal as a result of it’s powerful to search out gifted gamers who’re massive, can transfer nicely, block and do all of the issues an offense asks of the place.
The 2026 cycle was particularly aggressive. “There simply weren’t sufficient (gifted) tight ends within the portal,” an ACC personnel staffer advised The Athletic final month.
However there have been some good ones, and a few groups shall be happy with who they landed.
Let’s check out the highest switch tight ends from this yr’s portal cycle, accounting for his or her talents, resumes and the affect they may have on their new groups in 2026.
Additionally, try the rankings for QBs, RBs and WRs.
Word: Snap counts are from Professional Soccer Focus.
1. Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State → Penn State
Top/weight: 6-7/252Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 446 yards, 6 TD
What it’s best to know: Brahmer is a tricky matchup as a result of he’s massive, strikes nicely and has a pure really feel as a cross catcher. He has good physique management and is adept at leaping over smaller defenders to excessive level the ball, making him a terrific crimson zone goal. He has a big catch radius and notched a number of one-handed catches final season. Brahmer ought to have a clean transition to Penn State since he’s working with the identical quarterback, Rocco Becht.
2. Luke Reynolds, Penn State → Virginia Tech
Top/weight: 6-4/250Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 26 receptions, 257 yards, 0 TD
What it’s best to know: Reynolds is a terrific athlete who can actually run, leap and separate from defenders. As a cross catcher, he has nearly all the pieces you’d need in a decent finish — he’s a very good route runner, can elevate to corral excessive balls and has loads of velocity to be a weapon after the catch. Penn State used him in different methods, too, on shovel passes and on a pretend punt. Don’t be stunned if that continues at Virginia Tech, the place Reynolds rejoins head coach James Franklin, place coach Ty Howle and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, amongst others. He ought to be poised for a breakout yr in 2026.
3. Brody Foley, Tulsa → Louisville
Top/weight: 6-6/260Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 528 yards, 7 TD
What it’s best to know: Foley runs very well, given his massive body, and was a featured offensive weapon for Tulsa, main the group in receiving yards and landing catches whereas additionally serving as a changeup weapon through direct snaps, the place he rushed for 2 scores. Foley’s 9 complete touchdowns led all FBS tight ends in 2025. He’ll undoubtedly be an essential weapon for brand spanking new Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
4. Dorian Thomas, New Mexico → Cal
Top/weight: 6-4/250Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 56 receptions, 560 yards, 4 TD
What it’s best to know: Thomas is a giant, athletic, productive tight finish who’s an particularly efficient catch-and-run choice within the passing sport. Each time New Mexico obtained Thomas the ball in area, he was an asset. His 56 catches are essentially the most amongst returning FBS tight ends and have been the third-most on the place nationally final yr. Pairing Thomas with Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele (in addition to receiver transfers Ian Sturdy and Chase Hendricks) looks like a super match with super potential.
5. Hayden Hansen, Florida → Oklahoma
Top/weight: 6-8/268Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 30 receptions, 254 yards, 2 TD
What it’s best to know: Hansen, who spent 4 years with the Gators, noticed a significant leap in targets in 2025 and doubled his catch manufacturing from 2024, when he had 15 receptions. His dimension instantly jumps off the web page, and he carries it nicely. He’s an efficient cross catcher, a strong blocker within the run sport — he lined up inline on 554 of his 745 snaps in 2025 — and has a great deal of SEC expertise, with 34 begins and a couple of,182 profession snaps on his resume.
6. Jayvontay Conner, East Carolina → Vanderbilt
Top/weight: 6-4/235Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 23 receptions, 333 yards, 3 TD
What it’s best to know: The previous Ole Miss signee is again within the SEC after a few seasons at East Carolina. After two mixed catches in 2023 and 2024, Conner noticed a leap in manufacturing final season and confirmed off the athletic capability that originally made him a beautiful recruit. It might be asking an excessive amount of to count on Conner to copy the numbers his predecessor, Eli Stowers, put up at Vandy, however maintain this in thoughts: Stowers’ stat line in his final season at New Mexico State (35 receptions, 366 yards, two touchdowns) wasn’t all that completely different from Conner’s at ECU final yr.
Jared Curtis to Jayvontay Conner for six. pic.twitter.com/TBkSCJ0vQ1
— Joey Dwyer (@joey_dwy) April 9, 2026
7. Hunter Welcing, Northwestern → Ohio State
Top/weight: 6-3/246Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 28 receptions, 296 yards, 2 TD
What it’s best to know: Welcing is getting into his seventh season after spending the primary six at Northwestern. He cut up time pretty evenly in 2025, recording 217 snaps within the passing sport and 206 as a run blocker, and emerged as a productive cross catcher for the Wildcats. The truth that he has actual reps and success within the Large Ten ought to make him an asset for Ohio State, the place he joins a deep depth chart that has a extremely regarded younger returnee (Nate Roberts), a rising senior (Bennett Christian) and one other switch (Mason Williams from Ohio).
8. Cole Rusk, Illinois → Arizona
Top/weight: 6-5/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 19 receptions, 217 yards, 1 TD
What it’s best to know: Rusk is getting into his sixth season (two at Japanese Michigan, one at Murray State, two at Illinois) and fills a key want for the Wildcats. He had a terrific 2023 season at Murray State — profession highs in catches (39), receiving yards (512) and landing catches (six) — and made the transfer from the FCS to the Large Ten. However Rusk suffered a knee damage that saved him sidelined in 2024. He returned final fall and located some success, shifting nicely and serving as a gradual blocker and checkdown choice for Luke Altmyer. At Arizona, his massive physique, mobility and skill to win contested catches ought to assist enhance his manufacturing as he gives matchup challenges for Large 12 defenses.
9. Jett Carpenter, Nevada → Texas Tech
Top/weight: 6-3/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 35 receptions, 374 yards, 2 TD
What it’s best to know: Carpenter is getting into his seventh season after 5 at Japanese Washington within the FCS and one at Nevada. His first FBS season was a very good one, as he led the Wolf Pack in catches and receiving yards, and proved to be a bodily run blocker, too. He ought to be an ideal complement to Tech’s returning tight finish Terrance Carter Jr., who’s a smaller, extra dynamic cross catcher.
10. Randy Pittman, Florida State → SMU
Top/weight: 6-2/240Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 23 receptions, 208 yards, 2 TD
What it’s best to know: Pittman isn’t the largest, however he’s a flexible offensive weapon. FSU used Pittman in Wildcat formations, and he proved efficient, notching three speeding touchdowns and even throwing for one (towards Virginia, he recorded passing, speeding and receiving touchdowns). He has been productive as a receiver, with 74 profession catches for 839 yards in 34 video games throughout three seasons, two with UCF and one at FSU.
11. Patrick Overmyer, UTSA → Houston
Top/weight: 6-5/230Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 27 receptions, 344 yards, 5 TD
What it’s best to know: Overmyer had two strong seasons with the Roadrunners, combining for 58 catches, 627 yards and eight scores in 2024 and 2025. He steps right into a Houston offense that closely utilized tight ends beneath offensive coordinator Slade Nagle final yr, as current graduate Tanner Koziol led the nation’s tight ends with 74 receptions in 2025. Don’t count on Overmyer to succeed in that complete, however given his body, athletic capability and penchant to win 50/50 balls, he ought to be loads productive for the Cougars.
12. Walker Lyons, USC → BYU
Top/weight: 6-4/245Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 20 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TD
What it’s best to know: Lyons didn’t have as a lot manufacturing as you may count on given his athleticism, however that would change at his new faculty, the place there aren’t a ton of confirmed receivers. BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick advised reporters this spring that Lyons and Oregon tight finish switch Roger Saleapaga have been two of the Cougars’ finest gamers, lauding their blocking and receiving capability. Lyons is a legit open-field risk and will turn into an all-conference participant if sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier can persistently get him the ball.
13. Michael Masunas, Michigan State → Texas
Top/weight: 6-5/257Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 19 receptions, 232 yards, 3 TD
What it’s best to know: The Longhorns have been interested in Masunas’ capability as a blocker, which he did lots of with the Spartans (280 of his 391 offensive snaps in 2025 have been blocking), however he ought to be a strong presence within the passing sport as nicely. He’s a giant physique, and a lot consideration shall be positioned on the talent gamers round him (Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown) that alternatives are certain to come up. “He’s given us extra within the passing sport than possibly we have been anticipating,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian advised reporters of Masunas. “He’s very succesful there.”
14. Gabe Burkle, Iowa State → Penn State
Top/weight: 6-6/251Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 26 receptions, 302 yards, 1 TD
What it’s best to know: No FBS group ran extra offensive performs in 2025 with at the least two tight ends on the sector than Iowa State did final yr, so count on lots of two- and three-tight finish appears to be like at Penn State beneath coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. Which means Burkle ought to get loads of run, as he did final season when he persistently produced within the 9 video games he performed alongside Brahmer. Burkle is massive, can run, block, and be a red-zone risk.
15. Gavin Harris, New Mexico State → Georgia Tech
Top/weight: 6-3/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 531 yards, 1 TD
What it’s best to know: After modest manufacturing in stops at Howard and Central Michigan, Harris had a breakout season in Las Cruces. He proved particularly dependable shifting the chains: he had extra third-down receptions (19) in 2025 than some other switch tight finish and third-most amongst all tight ends within the FBS, behind Houston’s Koziol and Texas Tech’s Carter. Harris joins Dartmouth switch Chris Corbo (45 receptions, 516 yards in 2025) to offer Georgia Tech a pair of gifted cross catchers on the place. Harris additionally had eight contested catches based on PFF, fourth-most amongst tight ends within the FBS and most of any participant on this checklist.
