We’re continuing our preseason position previews for the 2025 college football season with one of the most unpredictable groups to evaluate: tight ends. If you’ve been following our rankings, you know that we rarely agree unanimously—but this one took things to a new level. Among the four of us (Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack), there wasn’t a single team where all four ballots lined up—and most weren’t even close. The result? Our most diverse rankings to date, with multiple ties littering the final list: Cincinnati and Houston share the #4 spot, Arizona and UCF are locked together at #9, and three teams are tangled up in a tie at #11.
The way we determine our rankings is straightforward: each voter ranks their top 16 tight end units across the Big 12. The highest-ranked team on a ballot receives 16 points, second place gets 15, and so on down to 1 point for the 16th-ranked team. The final rankings are based on the total points each team receives from all four ballots. As you’ll see at the bottom of the page, the complete rankings reflect just how wide the opinions were—from Utah being ranked dead last by two voters and first by another, to Texas Tech appearing as high as #1 and as low as #7.
Despite all the chaos, there were still a few teams where we found some common ground. We were fairly aligned on Iowa State—a consensus top-5 pick thanks to their returning depth—and Arizona State, which most of us had in the 6–10 range. On the flip side, there were major divides on teams like Utah, Kansas, and BYU, where our ballots were scattered across the entire 16-spot spectrum.
So where did your team land? Scroll to the bottom to check out our full composite rankings for Big 12 tight end units heading into the 2025 season.
Heartland Sports Consensus Big 12 Tight End Rankings
| RANKING | POINTS |
|---|---|
| 1. Texas Tech | 57 |
| 2. Iowa State | 56 |
| 3. Baylor | 54 |
| 4. Cincinnati | 49 |
| 4. Houston | 49 |
| 6. Kansas State | 44 |
| 7. Arizona State | 38 |
| 8. West Virginia | 31 |
| 9. Arizona | 27 |
| 9. UCF | 27 |
| 11. Oklahoma State | 21 |
| 11. TCU | 21 |
| 11. Utah | 21 |
| 14. BYU | 19 |
| 15. Kansas | 18 |
| 16. Colorado | 16 |
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Texas Tech | Tech went out and got one of the best transfer tight ends in the portal in Terrance Carter Jr. The former Ragin Cajuns, hauled in 48 receptions for 689 yards and four touchdowns. The Red Raiders have a pretty good backup tight end in Johncarlos Miller II.
2. Iowa State | Coming off of an impressive redshirt sophomore season Gabe Burkle looks to pick up where he left off. The Cyclones will also have Ben Brahmer back from injury who would have been TE1 last season if he didn’t get hurt.
3. Baylor | Baylor is returning Michael Trigg, who had 30 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns last season. Along with Trigg, the Bears have reliable backup options with Kelsey Johnson, who had moderate success before injury last year.
4. Cincinnati
5. Kansas State
6. Arizona State
7. Houston
8. West Virginia
9. Arizona
10. UCF
11. Oklahoma State
12. BYU
13. TCU
14. Kansas
15. Colorado |The top two guys for t he Buffs will be Zach Atkins, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State and Sav’ell Smalls. Smalls who made the switch from the defensive side of the ball only has 9 career receptions for 68 yards and 1 touchdown and Atkins who is making the jump from D2 to power 4. The Buffs tight end room is a big question mark for this upcoming season.
16.Utah | Utah has a very unproven tight end room. With Dallen Bentley most likely being TE1 he only has 2 catches for 15 yards in division 1 football. TE 2 should be Otto Tia, who has been moved from receiver to tight end. Will no clear proven TE1 I don’t expect much from the tigh end room this season.
Craig
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders have a dangerous duo in Terrance Carter Jr and Johncarlos Miller II. Terrance Carter Jr. comes in as the 7th ranked tight end in the portal. These two will be some of the most experienced guys at their position in the conference.
2. Cincinnati | Joe Royer led the Big 12 in receiving yards for a tight end in 2024 with 522 yards. He also brought in 50 catches. He should be set for an even better campaign in his senior season.
3. Iowa State | The Cyclones discovered Gabe Burkle last season after their top tight end Ben Brahmer suffered a season ending injury. Now, they’ll both be back providing one of the most talented duos in the Big 12.
4. Baylor
5. Houston
6. Arizona State
7. Kansas State
8. West Virginia
9. Oklahoma State
10. Arizona
11. UCF
12. TCU
13. BYU
14. Colorado
15. Kansas | The Jayhawks lost a majority of their tight end group to injury a year ago. They’re all back this season, but they’re unproven and also have to battle back from those injuries.
16. Utah | The Utes come in last on my list because they do not have a true tight end that will receive significant snaps in 2025. They’ll rely on transfer Otto Tia from Utah State who is moving from the wide receiver position to tight end.
Matt
1. Utah | The Utes could boast the best group of tight ends in the Big 12 thanks to a balanced mix of returning experience, emerging talent, and intriguing athleticism. While the Utes must replace longtime standout Brant Kuithe and physical force Miki Suguturaga, they return key pieces in Landen King and Dallen Bentley, who each bring a unique skill set. King, a 6-foot-5 Auburn transfer with elite receiving potential, is poised to become a top target if he can develop as a complete tight end and build chemistry with quarterback Devon Dampier. Bentley, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound bruiser, gives Utah a dominant edge blocker in the run game with short-yardage receiving upside. Add in the surprise move of former linebacker Hunter Andrews—whose athleticism and versatility draw comparisons to Kuithe—and the arrival of promising young talents like Drew Clemens, Bear Tenney, and Broderick Redden, and Utah’s tight end room is deep, physical, and full of potential heading into spring ball.
2. Baylor | The Bears enter the 2025 season with one of the Big 12’s most experienced and potentially dynamic tight end groups, headlined by former USC and Ole Miss transfer Michael Trigg. After a solid debut year in Waco, Trigg is expected to take on an even larger role in the Bears’ offense and could emerge as an All-Big 12 talent. He’s joined by redshirt juniors Matthew Klopfenstein and Cody Mladenka, both steady contributors who add valuable depth and versatility to the position. Redshirt sophomore Hawkins Polley also figures into the mix as a reliable blocker. With a veteran core and an expanded emphasis on the tight ends in the passing game, this unit is poised to be a major asset for Baylor in 2025.
3. Iowa State | The Cyclones’ tight end group enters the 2025 season with the potential to be one of the best in the Big 12, thanks to impressive depth, continuity, and a promising 1-2 punch in Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle. Brahmer, a former Freshman All-American, returns fully healthy after an injury-shortened 2024 and is poised to become quarterback Rocco Becht’s go-to target, especially as the new-look receiver room finds its footing. Burkle, meanwhile, emerged as a reliable pass catcher late last season and adds another weapon to the Cyclones’ offense. With the departure of fullback Stevo Klotz, the staff is also looking to identify a new H-back, with options like Tripp Walsh and redshirt freshman Cooper Alexander potentially filling that vital hybrid role. The combination of veteran experience, breakout potential, and a likely increase in 12 personnel sets gives Iowa State one of the most balanced and dangerous tight end units in the league.
4. Houston
5. Kansas State
6. Kansas
7. Texas Tech
8. BYU
9. TCU
10. Arizona State
11. West Virginia
12. Cincinnati
13. Arizona
14. UCF
15. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are banking on a revamped tight end unit to help spark a turnaround in 2025 after a disappointing 3-9 season. With new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham at the helm, the Cowboys are expected to feature a more dynamic offensive scheme—one that could rely heavily on tight end contributions. While only Josh Ford and Quinton Stewart return from last year’s roster, transfers Oscar Hammond (North Texas) and Will Monney (Utah State) bring proven production and immediate upside. Hammond, in particular, stands out after a 2024 season with 238 receiving yards and a touchdown, and could be a focal point in Meacham’s system. If Oklahoma State can maximize the blend of veteran experience and young talent like Ford, their tight end group has the potential to emerge as one of the Big 12’s most productive.
16. Colorado | The Buff’s tight end room could play a much larger role in 2025 as offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur looks to shift the offense toward heavier personnel sets and greater tight end involvement. Zach Atkins, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, is expected to headline the group as a receiving threat, while Sav’ell Smalls, a converted defensive end, brings value as a blocker with potential to grow as a pass-catcher. After years of minimal production from the position, the Buffaloes are hoping this revamped group can finally make an impact in the passing game.
Zack
1. Cincinnati | The Bearcats claim the Big 12’s top returning tight and Preseason All-Big 12 selection Joe Royer. As a junior last year, Royer hauled in 50 catches for 522 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he’s sure to have another big year.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders brought in transfers for positions all over the field, and the tight end is no different. Terrance Carter Jr. had a big sophomore season for Louisiana last year, finishing with 48 catches for 689 yards and 4 touchdowns. Alongside him is Johncarlos Miller II who had 10 catches for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, but he will also play a bigger role in this year’s offense.
3. Houston | Tanner Koziol is a senior transfer from Ball State, and he had a monster year last year with 94 catches for 839 yards and 8 touchdowns. He will certainly play a big role for the Cougars this year.
4. Iowa State
5. Baylor
6. UCF
7. Kansas State
8. Arizona State
9. Arizona
10. West Virginia
11. Colorado
12. Oklahoma State
13. TCU
14. Utah
15. Kansas | The Jayhawks have two potentially talented tight end in DeShawn Hanika and Boden Groen, but Hanika sat out all last season with injury, and Groen only played the first four games of the season before getting injured. Their lack of recent play time and overall impact thus far in their careers makes me think this unit may struggle.
16. BYU | The Cougars lack serious depth, and transfer Carsen Ryan comes over from Utah, where he had just 10 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown a year. This area may be the weakest link of BYU’s offense by far.
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