Tight ends play a pivotal role on offense as both run blockers and pass catchers, and there are plenty of good ones in the Big 12.
The conference boasts returning standouts such as West Virginia‘s Kole Taylor and Iowa State’s Benjamin Brahmer. But it also features newcomers such as Utah’s Brant Kuithe and Houston’s Maliq Carr.
Here are the top 10 tight ends in the Big 12 for the 2024 season:
Big 12 position rankings: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver
2024 Big 12 football tight end rankings
10. Randy Pittman Jr., Central Florida
Central Florida is in need of a lead tight end following the departure of Alec Holler, a four-year starter who’s now in the NFL.
Pittman appears the be the guy after a solid showing last season. The 6-2 tight end caught 19 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown as a true freshman.
Pittman’s numbers should go up in a larger role. Still, he’ll be limited on a Central Florida offense with bigger weapons such as wide receiver Kobe Hudson and running back RJ Harvey.
9. Jared Casey, Kansas
Casey has been a part-time starter throughout his three seasons with Kansas.
The 6-foot senior mostly contributes by blocking for the team’s strong run game. He only caught nine passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Mason Fairchild is now in the NFL, though. That’ll make Casey the starter this season, although his numbers are still unlikely to stand out since he’ll be asked to block often.
8. Garrett Oakley, Kansas State
After redshirting his freshman season in 2022, Oakley made two starts in 10 appearances last season.
The 6-5 tight end’s opportunities were limited as he played behind three-year starter Ben Sinnott, who caught 49 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns. Oakley finished with 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Sinnott is now in the NFL, paving the way for Oakley to make strides. It’s a similar situation to Casey, but Oakley gets the edge because he’ll likely be more involved in the passing game.
More: Big 12 football quarterback rankings: Where does Shedeur Sanders, Jalon Daniels land?
7. Chamon Metayer, Arizona State
Metayer began his career at Cincinnati before he transferred to Colorado on Dec. 10, but he transferred to Arizona State on April 24.
It’s a big addition for the Sun Devils, who ranked second-to-last in the Pac-12 in passing yards per game last season (210.3). Metayer made 23 catches for 258 yards and five touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore last season.
Metayer has the talent to be higher on this list. But the 6-5 tight end lands at No. 7 because he’ll likely be catching passes from an inexperienced redshirt freshman quarterback in Sam Leavitt.
6. Mason Tharp, Texas Tech
Despite missing five straight games last season due to injury, Tharp looked solid when he was on the field.
The 6-9 tight end recorded career highs of 18 catches, 178 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns as a junior. He also put up those numbers despite sharing targets with fellow tight end Baylor Cupp, who’s now in the NFL.
Health is the biggest key for Tharp. But, if he can stay on the field, he’s a massive target who could become a top-five tight end in the conference.
5. Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State
Brahmer made an immediate impact as a true freshman last season.
The 6-7 tight end caught 28 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns. That was good enough for him to earn All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Brahmer should be even more involved now following the graduation of fellow tight end Easton Dean, who started all 13 games last season. And while Brahmer must compete with Iowa State’s receiver duo of Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins for targets, the sophomore still deserves a top-five spot on this list.
More: Big 12 football running back rankings: Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II headlines the list
4. Maliq Carr, Houston
Carr is a two-time transfer who spent the first season of his career at Purdue and the last three at Michigan State.
The 6-6 tight end caught 30 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns as a junior last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Carr had the highest grade of any transfer tight end in FBS at 81.9%.
There’s a lot to like about Carr, who can contribute as both a run blocker and a pass catcher. He should instantly become a go-to option for quarterback Donovan Smith and the Cougars, who need playmakers.
3. Kole Taylor, West Virginia
After transferring from LSU, Taylor instantly became a reliable contributor for West Virginia last season.
The 6-7 tight end recorded career highs of 35 catches, 444 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns as a junior. He even earned an All-Big 12 second team selection for his breakout campaign.
Taylor is now back with the Mountaineers, and he’ll continue to be a favorite target of starting quarterback Garrett Greene.
2. Drake Dabney, TCU
TCU got a huge addition when Dabney transferred from Baylor on Dec. 16.
The 6-5 senior earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention last season by recording career highs of 33 catches, 552 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He set Baylor’s program record for the most receiving yards in a season by a tight end.
Meanwhile, TCU is looking the replace the production of star tight end Jared Wiley, who earned an All-Big…
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