By Mark Pszonak
This has been a busy transfer portal cycle for tight ends, but while many found new homes, not all will make an immediate impact. Here are the ten who will make the 2024 college football season more exciting:
1. Benjamin Yurosek – Georgia (Stanford)
The skinny: While he will not fully replace Brock Bowers’ productivity, Georgia’s addition of Yurosek should not be overlooked. A bit more of a traditional tight end than Bowers is, Yurosek shined during his time at Stanford with 108 receptions for 1,342 yards and five touchdowns. He fits in perfectly with the Bulldogs’ offensive unit and should immediately become a consistent threat in their passing game.
2. Amari Niblack – Texas (Alabama)
The skinny: Not a great deal was expected from Niblack during his sophomore season with the Tide, but he responded with 20 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Possessing the size of a tight end but the athletic ability and agility of a wide receiver, look for him to be a steady contributor this fall in Austin.
3. Jack Velling – Michigan State (Oregon State)
The skinny: While Oregon State didn’t necessarily have a potent passing attack during Velling’s two seasons in Corvalis, he still managed to grab 45 receptions for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now he joins his former Beavers’ teammate, quarterback Aidan Chiles, in East Lansing, where he will likely be used consistently while the young signal caller gets adjusted to life as a starter in the Big Ten.
4. Justin Joly – NC State (UConn)
The skinny: UConn isn’t on the radar of many college football fans nowadays, so it is likely that many didn’t notice that Joly finished the 2023 season with 56 receptions for 578 yards and two touchdowns. He especially opened eyes at Tennessee when he totaled eight receptions for 89 yards against the Vols. Now he brings his talents to Raleigh, where the Wolfpack have pieced together an interesting offense which has the potential to make some serious noise in the ACC this fall.
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5. Maliq Carr – Houston (Michigan State)
The skinny: Not much went well at Michigan State last season, but Carr was one of the few bright spots with 30 receptions for 352 yards and three touchdowns. He now joins Houston, which also struggled and underwent a coaching change that should produce more action for the tight end position. As the offense undergoes a complete overhaul, a quarterback usually looks for a capable tight end for help, which will likely put Carr in position for a big season.
6. Drake Dabney – TCU (Baylor)
The skinny: The veteran had a breakout 2023 season with 33 receptions for 552 yards and five touchdowns. He proved himself as a big play threat by averaging an impressive 16.7 yards per reception. The tight end position wasn’t a big part of the Horned Frogs’ offense in 2023, but that will likely change this fall.
7. Holden Staes – Tennessee (Notre Dame)
The skinny: The sophomore flashed his potential last season at Notre Dame with 15 receptions for 176 yards and four touchdowns. However, he decided to continue his collegiate career closer to his Georgia home, which resulted in his transfer to the Vols. The Tennessee offense will look very different this season at several positions, so while it may take a bit of time for everyone to get adjusted, look for him to gradually become an important piece of the unit.
8. Chamon Metayer – Colorado (Cincinnati)
The skinny: Metayer rather quietly put together a very productive season in 2023 with 23 receptions for 258 yards and five touchdowns. He joins Colorado, where he will replace Michael Harrison, who had a very similar stat line last season with 31 receptions for 284 yards and five touchdowns. The guess here is that Metayer will exceed these numbers in 2024 as he provides an athletic big body who has the potential to become one of the favorite targets for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
9. Mark Redman – Louisville (San Diego State)
The skinny: After starting his collegiate career off rather slowly at Washington, Redman transferred to San Diego State and shined during his two seasons with 59 receptions for 641 yards and five touchdowns. Now he is back at the P5 level with the Cardinals, who hope he can provide a reliable receiving threat to new quarterback Tyler Shough.
10. Jake Johnson – North Carolina (Texas A&M)
The skinny: It will be interesting to see how the post-Drake Maye era begins in Chapel Hill this fall. To help the offense, Johnson was brought in as a veteran tight end to help stabilize the unit. It will also help that Johnson will be matching up with his brother and fellow transfer quarterback Max Johnson, so it is reasonable to think that the two will have a good connection this fall.
