Tight ends typically come at a premium in the transfer portal because it’s tough to find talented players who are big, can move well, block and do all the things an offense asks of the position.
The 2026 cycle was especially competitive. “There just weren’t enough (talented) tight ends in the portal,” an ACC personnel staffer told The Athletic last month.
But there were some good ones, and some teams will be pleased with who they landed.
Let’s take a look at the top transfer tight ends from this year’s portal cycle, accounting for their abilities, resumes and the impact they could have on their new teams in 2026.
Also, check out the rankings for QBs, RBs and WRs.
Note: Snap counts are from Pro Football Focus.
1. Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State → Penn State
Height/weight: 6-7/252Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 446 yards, 6 TD
What you should know: Brahmer is a tough matchup because he’s big, moves well and has a natural feel as a pass catcher. He has good body control and is adept at jumping over smaller defenders to high point the ball, making him a terrific red zone target. He has a large catch radius and notched multiple one-handed catches last season. Brahmer should have a smooth transition to Penn State since he’s working with the same quarterback, Rocco Becht.
2. Luke Reynolds, Penn State → Virginia Tech
Height/weight: 6-4/250Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 26 receptions, 257 yards, 0 TD
What you should know: Reynolds is a terrific athlete who can really run, jump and separate from defenders. As a pass catcher, he has just about everything you’d want in a tight end — he’s a good route runner, can elevate to corral high balls and has plenty of speed to be a weapon after the catch. Penn State used him in other ways, too, on shovel passes and on a fake punt. Don’t be surprised if that continues at Virginia Tech, where Reynolds rejoins head coach James Franklin, position coach Ty Howle and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, among others. He should be poised for a breakout year in 2026.
3. Brody Foley, Tulsa → Louisville
Height/weight: 6-6/260Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 528 yards, 7 TD
What you should know: Foley runs really well, given his big frame, and was a featured offensive weapon for Tulsa, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdown catches while also serving as a changeup weapon via direct snaps, where he rushed for two scores. Foley’s nine total touchdowns led all FBS tight ends in 2025. He’ll undoubtedly be an important weapon for new Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
4. Dorian Thomas, New Mexico → Cal
Height/weight: 6-4/250Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 56 receptions, 560 yards, 4 TD
What you should know: Thomas is a big, athletic, productive tight end who is an especially effective catch-and-run option in the passing game. Whenever New Mexico got Thomas the ball in space, he was an asset. His 56 catches are the most among returning FBS tight ends and were the third-most at the position nationally last year. Pairing Thomas with Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele (as well as receiver transfers Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks) feels like an ideal match with tremendous potential.
5. Hayden Hansen, Florida → Oklahoma
Height/weight: 6-8/268Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 30 receptions, 254 yards, 2 TD
What you should know: Hansen, who spent four years with the Gators, saw a major jump in targets in 2025 and doubled his catch production from 2024, when he had 15 receptions. His size immediately jumps off the page, and he carries it well. He’s an effective pass catcher, a solid blocker in the run game — he lined up inline on 554 of his 745 snaps in 2025 — and has loads of SEC experience, with 34 starts and 2,182 career snaps on his resume.
6. Jayvontay Conner, East Carolina → Vanderbilt
Height/weight: 6-4/235Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 23 receptions, 333 yards, 3 TD
What you should know: The former Ole Miss signee is back in the SEC after a couple of seasons at East Carolina. After two combined catches in 2023 and 2024, Conner saw a jump in production last season and showed off the athletic ability that initially made him an attractive recruit. It would be asking too much to expect Conner to replicate the numbers his predecessor, Eli Stowers, put up at Vandy, but keep this in mind: Stowers’ stat line in his last season at New Mexico State (35 receptions, 366 yards, two touchdowns) wasn’t all that different from Conner’s at ECU last year.
Jared Curtis to Jayvontay Conner for six. pic.twitter.com/TBkSCJ0vQ1
— Joey Dwyer (@joey_dwy) April 9, 2026
7. Hunter Welcing, Northwestern → Ohio State
Height/weight: 6-3/246Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 28 receptions, 296 yards, 2 TD
What you should know: Welcing is entering his seventh season after spending the first six at Northwestern. He split time fairly evenly in 2025, recording 217 snaps in the passing game and 206 as a run blocker, and emerged as a productive pass catcher for the Wildcats. The fact that he has real reps and success in the Big Ten should make him an asset for Ohio State, where he joins a deep depth chart that has a highly regarded young returnee (Nate Roberts), a rising senior (Bennett Christian) and another transfer (Mason Williams from Ohio).
8. Cole Rusk, Illinois → Arizona
Height/weight: 6-5/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 19 receptions, 217 yards, 1 TD
What you should know: Rusk is entering his sixth season (two at Eastern Michigan, one at Murray State, two at Illinois) and fills a key need for the Wildcats. He had a terrific 2023 season at Murray State — career highs in catches (39), receiving yards (512) and touchdown catches (six) — and made the move from the FCS to the Big Ten. But Rusk suffered a knee injury that kept him sidelined in 2024. He returned last fall and found some success, moving well and serving as a steady blocker and checkdown option for Luke Altmyer. At Arizona, his big body, mobility and ability to win contested catches should help increase his production as he provides matchup challenges for Big 12 defenses.
9. Jett Carpenter, Nevada → Texas Tech
Height/weight: 6-3/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 35 receptions, 374 yards, 2 TD
What you should know: Carpenter is entering his seventh season after five at Eastern Washington in the FCS and one at Nevada. His first FBS season was a good one, as he led the Wolf Pack in catches and receiving yards, and proved to be a physical run blocker, too. He should be a perfect complement to Tech’s returning tight end Terrance Carter Jr., who’s a smaller, more dynamic pass catcher.
10. Randy Pittman, Florida State → SMU
Height/weight: 6-2/240Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 23 receptions, 208 yards, 2 TD
What you should know: Pittman isn’t the biggest, but he is a versatile offensive weapon. FSU used Pittman in Wildcat formations, and he proved effective, notching three rushing touchdowns and even throwing for one (against Virginia, he recorded passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns). He has been productive as a receiver, with 74 career catches for 839 yards in 34 games across three seasons, two with UCF and one at FSU.
11. Patrick Overmyer, UTSA → Houston
Height/weight: 6-5/230Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 27 receptions, 344 yards, 5 TD
What you should know: Overmyer had two solid seasons with the Roadrunners, combining for 58 catches, 627 yards and eight scores in 2024 and 2025. He steps into a Houston offense that heavily utilized tight ends under offensive coordinator Slade Nagle last year, as recent graduate Tanner Koziol led the nation’s tight ends with 74 receptions in 2025. Don’t expect Overmyer to reach that total, but given his frame, athletic ability and penchant to win 50/50 balls, he should be plenty productive for the Cougars.
12. Walker Lyons, USC → BYU
Height/weight: 6-4/245Years remaining: 2Key 2025 stats: 20 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TD
What you should know: Lyons didn’t have as much production as you might expect given his athleticism, but that could change at his new school, where there aren’t a ton of proven receivers. BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told reporters this spring that Lyons and Oregon tight end transfer Roger Saleapaga have been two of the Cougars’ best players, lauding their blocking and receiving ability. Lyons is a legitimate open-field threat and could become an all-conference player if sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier can consistently get him the ball.
13. Michael Masunas, Michigan State → Texas
Height/weight: 6-5/257Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 19 receptions, 232 yards, 3 TD
What you should know: The Longhorns were attracted to Masunas’ ability as a blocker, which he did a lot of with the Spartans (280 of his 391 offensive snaps in 2025 were blocking), but he should be a solid presence in the passing game as well. He’s a big body, and so much attention will be placed on the skill players around him (Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown) that opportunities are bound to arise. “He’s given us more in the passing game than maybe we were anticipating,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters of Masunas. “He’s very capable there.”
14. Gabe Burkle, Iowa State → Penn State
Height/weight: 6-6/251Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 26 receptions, 302 yards, 1 TD
What you should know: No FBS team ran more offensive plays in 2025 with at least two tight ends on the field than Iowa State did last year, so expect a lot of two- and three-tight end looks at Penn State under coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. That means Burkle should get plenty of run, as he did last season when he consistently produced in the nine games he played alongside Brahmer. Burkle is big, can run, block, and be a red-zone threat.
15. Gavin Harris, New Mexico State → Georgia Tech
Height/weight: 6-3/250Years remaining: 1Key 2025 stats: 37 receptions, 531 yards, 1 TD
What you should know: After modest production in stops at Howard and Central Michigan, Harris had a breakout season in Las Cruces. He proved especially reliable moving the chains: he had more third-down receptions (19) in 2025 than any other transfer tight end and third-most among all tight ends in the FBS, behind Houston’s Koziol and Texas Tech’s Carter. Harris joins Dartmouth transfer Chris Corbo (45 receptions, 516 yards in 2025) to give Georgia Tech a pair of talented pass catchers at the position. Harris also had eight contested catches according to PFF, fourth-most among tight ends in the FBS and most of any player on this list.
