A lot of people are coming around to the idea that the Big Ten is the best and most competitive conference in college football, or second at the very least to the SEC. From top-to-bottom, the conference is defined by teams with hard-nosed defenses and tough, physical offenses to compliment them.
Taking into account the toughness and physicality in the Big Ten, it’s no wonder why the teams in it seem to produce so many high-level tight ends. Michigan and Penn State each sent star tight ends to the NFL last year in Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren, and now the Oregon Ducks are expecting Kenyon Sadiq to be selected in first round in a few months.
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From receiving tight ends, to glorified offensive linemen, to a hybrid of the two — the position is valued in the Big Ten. Now, let’s take a look at the projected tight end starters for each team in the conference and see where they rank.
No. 18 – Kaden Feagin, Illinois Fighting Illini
Luke Altmyer #9 of the Illinois Fighting Illini hands the ball off to Kaden Feagin #3 during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Champaign, Illinois.
Career Stats: 284 carries, 1,251 yards, 12 TDs
In a rare turn of events, Illinois running back Kaden Feagin is making the switch to tight end in his final year with the team. The Illini are in desperate need of one, and they appear to be confident that Feagin’s abilities will be able to transfer to a drastically different position. Only time will tell how this move works out.
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No. 17 — Jackson Gister, Rutgers University
Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive ends coach Julian Campenni with defensive lineman Jordan Thompson (14) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 1 catch, 11 yards
Rutgers’ two top tight ends are out of eligibility, so it is uo to the unknown Jackson Gister to step up. After only catching one pass in his freshman season, he is a huge question mark heading into 2026.
Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 1 catch, 16 yards
With the two tight ends who overshadowed him last year out of the way, Jayden Savoury is in line to become Michigan State’s starter in 2026. He has a massive frame at six-foot-four, 240 pounds, which has Spartans fans excited for what’s to come. Savoury is largely unproven but he should command a large share of the team’s targets.
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No. 15 — Jake Renda, UCLA Bruins
Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general overall view of the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Southern California Trojans at the United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 2 catches, 14 yards
There’s no way around it — the Bruins hardly throw to their tight ends. They added Renda through the transfer portal last season, but he failed to even catch a pass. Yet, with no other tight ends with experience on the roster, he is shaping up to be the starter.
Sep 6, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes tight end Brock Schott (19) runs with the football against Bethune-Cookman Wildcats safety Jaden Davis (28) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 2 catches, 24 yards
Despite having a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, the Hoosiers didn’t throw to their tight ends much last season. With none of their returning tight ends accumulating more than 100 yards in 2025, it sets up Brock Schott to take the reins. He didn’t do much in his freshman season, but he is a four-star recruit who has a ton of upside.
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No. 13 — Grant Stec, Wisconsin Badgers
MADISON, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 28: Grant Stec #85 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after catching a 22-yard pass to the three-yard line in the third quarter against the Miami (OH) Redhawks at Camp Randall Stadium on August 28, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Career Stats: 5 catches, 52 yards
Wisconsin’s No. 1 tight end declared for the draft, so now Grant Stec should have the opportunity to step into his shoes. He was mostly just a blocker when he started with the Badgers, but he slowly got more involved in the passing game last season. Standing at six-foot-four, 254 pounds, Stec has everything it takes to take a leap in 2026.
Oklahoma tight end Kaden Helms (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA football game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Kent State Golden Flashes at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.
Career Stats: 8 catches, 58 yards, 2 TDs
In what has become a common theme this year in the Big Ten, Kaden Helms is just about the only capable tight end on Minnesota’s roster. He was buried on the depth chartr at Oklahoma, so he hopes that he’ll be given a chance to shine with a wide-open tight end room in Minnesota.
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No. 11 — Luke Dehnicke, Northwestern Wildcats
Nov 5, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats fans celebrate a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Ohio State Buckeyes At Northwestern Wildcats
Career Stats: 61 catches, 1,119 yards, 14 TDs
Luke Dehnicke has the best stats on this list by far, but his ceiling here is limited because he is coming from a Division II school. We’ve seen a lot of players fail trying to make the jump to Divion I ball, but Dehnicke has the talent to make it work.
No. 10 — Kylan Fox, Purdue Boilermakers
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 20: Kylan Fox #1 of the UCF Knights catches a 17-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at FBC Mortgage Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Career Stats: 19 catches, 159 yards, 1 TD
Kylan Fox didn’t get many chances to catch passes at UCF, so he’s hoping his fortunes will change at Purdue. With an air attack begging for someone to take it over, it creates an opportunity for Fox to show what he’s capable of.
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No. 9 — Zack Marshall, Michigan Wolverines
Michigan tight end Zack Marshall (83) tries to makes a catch against Purdue during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Career Stats: 16 catches, 199 yards, 1 TD
In an odd season for the Wolverines, they have a five-star quarterback who they rarely threw the ball with. This means that Zack Marshall’s numbers have been deflated along with the rest of the pass catching unit. He has to sit low on this list because Michigan’s passing attack is such a big question mark right now.
No. 8 — Tucker Ashcraft, USC Trojans
Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft (38) rushes with the football during the first quarter against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 22 catches, 178 yards, 2 TDs
Both of USC’s productive tight ends will be gone this season, so transfer addition Tucker Ashcraft is likely to step up. He hasn’t seen the field much in his first three seasons, but he will have a chance to make a name for himself with the Trojans.
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Dec 27, 2025; Bronx, NY, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea (87) looks for yards after catch as Clemson Tigers cornerback Branden Strozier (1) pursues during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 20 catches, 180 yards, 3 TDs
With Penn State having highly-touted prospects like Tyler Warren and Luke Reynolds the last couple of years, Andrew Rappleyea has had to sit on the back burner. Now he has his chance to shine with both of those players gone from the program. He had nearly 200 yards in his first season with meaningful snaps, so he should be able to improve this season with a largely vacated tight end room.
No. 6 — Luke Lindenmeyer, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Dec 28, 2024; Bronx, NY, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Luke Lindenmeyer (44) carries the ball during the first half against the Boston College Eagles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 34 catches, 362 yards, 2 TDs
Lindenmeyer only caught five passes during his first three years at Nebraska, but his patience paid off last season. He was one of the most reliable targets on the team, surpassing 300 yards and reeling in three touchdowns, and now he hopes to build on that momentum in 2026 with a starting role in his sights.
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No. 5 — Hunter Welcing, Ohio State Buckeyes
Northwestern tight end Lawson Albright (86) and tight end Hunter Welcing (84) celebrate a touchdown against Central Michigan during the first half of the Game Above Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.
Career Stats: 29 catches, 316 yards, 2 TDs
Transfer tight end Hunter Welcing looks to be the top option to take over for Max Klare, who is leaving the Buckeyes for the NFL, but he hardly even saw the field before last season. Although he lacks some experience, Welcing should have learned some tricks of the trade from Klare.
No. 4 — DJ Vonnahme, Iowa Hawkeyes
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: DJ Vonnahme #81 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate his touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half of the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Career Stats: 29 catches, 434 yards, 3 TDs
Just a two-star recruit out of high school, DJ Vonnahme stole the show for Iowa last season. Despite only having 434 yards, which doesn’t jump off the page, he was the leading receiver for a Hawkeyes passing attack that largely struggled to find a rhythm. If Vonnahme can perform like this in a dysfunctional offense, imagine what he’d look like in one that’s competent.
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Aug 31, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Decker DeGraaf (86) catches a touchdown pass against the Weber State Wildcats during the second quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 47 catches, 593 yards, 5 TDs
There was a lot of hope for Decker DeGraaf in 2025 after an impressive freshman yaer, but he didn’t take the jump that everyone expected. However, the team’s top receiver is headed to the NFL Draft, so there are a lot more targets, catches, and yards that need to be accounted for. The talent is there, and the production might follow this season with an offense looking to establish a new No. 1 option.
No. 2 — Jamari Johnson, Oregon Ducks
Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson celebrates a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Career Stats: 45 catches, 668 yards, 4 TDs
The Ducks are getting ready to send tight end Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL Draft, and there just might be someone following in his footsteps next year. Jamari Johnson will begin the season as the starter in all likelihood, which could elevate his draft stock after he nearly matched Sadiq’s yardage in 2025. With a five-star recruit waiting in the wings behind him, Oregon has one of the best tight end rooms in the nation.
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Nov 8, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Maryland Terrapins tight end Dorian Fleming (9) is tackled by Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Abram Wright (6) during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Career Stats: 89 catches, 909 yards, 9 TDs
One of the most talented receivers on this list, Dorian Fleming was a name floated in the preseasons as a potential John Mackey award winner. He didn’t have quite as productive of a season as he would have liked last year, but he was still good enough to earn the top spot on this list.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Ranking Big Ten teams’ best TEs heading into 2026
