PFF ranks Top 10 returning tight ends in college football
As college football offenses have evolved, the tight end position has become increasingly more popular in creating matchup problems for opposing defenses.
And, boy, are there some elite tight ends in college football.
Pro Football Focus released a ranking of the top 10 tight ends in college football on May 5, breaking down the best at the position based on their college tape so far and ignoring potential NFL projections as a factor in the rankings.
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers unsurprisingly topped the list, while Minnesota‘s Brevyn Spann-Ford and Texas‘ Ja’Tavion Sanders rounded out the top three.
Check out PFF’s ranking of the top 10 tight ends in college football below.
Top 10 Tight Ends in College Football in 2023
1. Brock Bowers, Georgia
After catching 63 passes for 942 yards and seven touchdowns, Bowers was named an Associated Press and Coaches First-Team All-SEC selection in the 2022 campaign. Bowers even showed the versatility to take some carries out of the backfield last fall, a role he could see expand to take some pressure off a new starting quarterback this season.
2. Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Spann-Ford has now started 16 games over the last two seasons, quickly becoming a staple in the Minnesota offense. He earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2022 after recording a team-leading 42 receptions for 497 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers will have no shortage of terrific options in the passing game in 2023. Sanders offers a unique position mismatch as one of the best tight ends in college football. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection after catching 54 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns.
Bell transferred from South Carolina to Florida State this offseason, where he’ll have the luxury of working with star quarterback Jordan Travis. In the last three seasons, Bell has recorded 56 catches for 757 yards and seven touchdowns, while also rushing for 301 yards and three scores.
5. Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina
Nesbit has collected a lot of experience in his first two years in college, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC as a sophomore in 2022. He was a big part of Drake Maye‘s massive numbers, catching 35 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
Though Stanford had a forgettable season in 2022, Yurosek was a real bright spot. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. On the year Yurosek tallied 49 catches for 445 yards and a touchdown. He has logged over 1,000 receiving yards in his career.
Stover is a veteran who really came into his own during his fourth year at Ohio State, and he’s still got two more years of eligibility remaining. Stover, in his first major action in college football, recorded 36 catches for 406 yards and five touchdowns, and he should make life easier on whoever the new Buckeyes starting quarterback is.
8. Jalin Conyers, Arizona State
Arizona State had a challenging year following the ousting of head coach Herm Edwards amid an NCAA investigation, but Conyers made the most of it anyway. He broke out with 38 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns and will look to carry over that success to his junior season in 2023.
Like Bell, Prieskorn is with a new program in 2023, having transferred from Memphis to Ole Miss. Prieskorn was a second-team All-AAC selection last fall after recording 48 catches for 602 yards and seven touchdowns. Already considered one of the best tight ends in college football, Prieskorn will now get a chance to show it in on of college football’s toughest conferences.
10. Seydou Traore, Arkansas State
Traore is the perfect example of how wacky college football can become with the college football transfer portal. After starring at Arkansas State in 2022, he transferred to Colorado in the winter. He went through all of spring practice, only to enter the NCAA transfer portal again. Whatever program he ends up at will be getting a player who racked up 50 catches for 655 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Red Wolves.