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The 2026 college football offseason is in full swing. With that, it’s time to start ranking the top-10 returning players at every single position.
Next up is tight end. Most of the top tight ends from this past season are entering the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving this as a wide-open list even at the top spot.
Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning tight ends in college football with an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.
Click below to view our other position rankings
1. Trey’Dez Green, LSU
Green is one of the biggest freak athletes in college football. He’s 6-foot-7, 240 pounds and recorded a top speed of over 20 miles per hour this year, according to our player tracking data.
After flashing as a true freshman in 2024, Green showed why he was a five-star recruit this past season as a sophomore. His seven receiving touchdowns were tied for second in the FBS, while his 75.0 PFF grade was third in the SEC. Green needs some work as a blocker, but he’s a matchup nightmare in the red zone with the athletic tools to potentially warrant a first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.
2. Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech
Carter placed ninth on this list last year following an outstanding year at Louisiana. He was equally as impressive in 2025 despite moving up in competition level at Texas Tech.
Carter’s 82.2 PFF grade was fourth among all tight ends in the nation. He was a menace with the ball in his hands, easily leading all tight ends in the country with 23 forced missed tackles while placing third with 370 yards after the catch. Carter’s 1,315 receiving yards since 2024 are the most of any returning tight end.
3. Jamari Johnson, Oregon
While Kenyon Sadiq is a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, one can argue that he wasn’t even the best receiving tight end on his own team this past season.
Johnson was the fifth most valuable tight end in the country according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was seventh in PFF receiving grade (85.2). His 2.45 yards per route run were also fourth in the nation, while his 291 yards after the catch were ninth. Expect a big year for the former Louisville transfer in Sadiq’s absence.
4. Kaelan Chudzinski, Boston College
Chudzinski was only the No. 128 tight end recruit from the 2025 high school class. And yet, he seems poised for stardom following a very promising true freshman campaign at Boston College, both as a receiver and as a run blocker.
Chudzinski’s 83.6 PFF run-blocking grade was third in the FBS among tight ends with at least 50 blocking snaps. He was also 10th in America with 2.25 yards per route run. With starting tight end Jeremiah Franklin moving on to the NFL, expect Chudzinski to become much more of a household name as a sophomore.
5. DJ Vonnahme, Iowa
Vonnahme seems to be next in line among Iowa’s storied tight end dynasty, which features names like George Kittle, Sam LaPorta and T.J. Hockenson. He averaged 3.10 yards per route run as a redshirt freshman, placing him second in the FBS. Vonnahme’s 83.1 PFF receiving grade was also tied for ninth in the nation.
There’s plenty of work needed as a blocker (39.0 run-blocking grade), but he was one of the most efficient receiving threats at the tight end position who could be in for an even bigger role in 2026.
6. Jeremiah Hasley, Duke
Hasley enjoyed a breakout campaign as a redshirt junior at Duke this past season. His 74.9 PFF run-blocking grade was eighth in the Power Four, while his 13 forced missed tackles were third in the entire FBS.
He was also tied for sixth in the country with six receiving touchdowns, and his 287 yards after the catch were 11th. Expect him to be one of the favorite targets for whoever replaces Darian Mensah as Duke’s quarterback next season.
7. Dylan Wade, UCF
Wade was a very productive receiving weapon as Maryland’s top tight end in 2024 and got even better this past season after transferring to UCF. In fact, his 897 receiving yards since 2024 are the most among returning Power Four tight ends.
Wade’s at his best with the ball in his hands, placing sixth in America this past season with 323 yards after the catch. He has just a 36.0 PFF run-blocking grade over the last two years, but his receiving ability is enough to make the top 10 of this list.
8. Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State
Brahmer is the only transfer on this list, following head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State. He flashed as a true freshman in 2023, posting a 74.0 PFF grade that placed him 15th nationally. A scary head/neck injury limited Brahmer to only eight games as a sophomore, but he started to look like his old self once again as a junior.
His 446 receiving yards were 25th among all tight ends in the nation, while his six receiving touchdowns tied for sixth. Brahmer only posted a 37.1 PFF run-blocking grade, but he’s a dangerous red-zone threat at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds.
9. Garrett Oakley, Kansas State
Oakley has been Kansas State’s top tight end in each of the past two seasons. His 13 career receiving touchdowns among all tight ends in program history and his six touchdowns this past season were tied for sixth in the FBS. Oakley is very strong at the catch point, converting six of his eight contested targets this past season into receptions.
The redshirt senior is no slouch in the run game either, placing fifth in the Big 12 with a 65.5 PFF run-blocking grade.
10. Peter Clarke, Temple
Clarke is the first player in our position ranking series who’ll be playing for a Group of Five school in 2026. He is still very deserving of a spot on this list, leading all tight ends in the country with a 90.5 PFF grade this past season. Clarke’s 87.5 PFF receiving grade was fourth in the nation while his 81.4 PFF run-blocking grade was third. No other tight end in the FBS was even in the top 10 of both metrics.
Originally from London, England, Clarke played at the NFL Academy there before signing with Temple. He enters his senior campaign with the Owls as one of the most underrated players in the country.
Honorable Mention: Decker DeGraaf, Washington
DeGraaf has been a major part of Washington’s passing game over his first two seasons. His 593 receiving yards in that stretch are seventh among returning Power Four tight ends.
DeGraaf is an excellent athlete for the position and has a 98th percentile separation rate for his career. With Denzel Boston now gone, he could have an even bigger role in the Huskies’ offense as a junior.