Top committed tight ends in the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking

Of the nation’s top 50 tight ends in the 2026 class, every single one is committed by the midway point of September.

That includes a trio of five-stars, as well as seven more ranked among the top 200 prospects nationally. With that in mind, Rivals is looking at the top 10 players at the position and where they’re currently committed, with only one school having multiple players on this list.

1. Mark Bowman — USC

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 16
School: Mater Dei (Calif.)
Scouting Summary: “Technical pass-catcher who is one of the best route-running tight end prospects we’ve seen in recent years. Measured in at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds with 31.75-inch arms and 9.75-inch hands before his senior season. Has elite quickness, which he uses to separate off the line of scrimmage and within his routes. Able to snap off defenders at will. Has very reliable hands and consistently finishes at the catch point. Quickness and speed allow for the ability to pick up big yardage after the catch. The type of tight end who can be a movable weapon within an offense’s passing game. Backs up the skill set he shows on Friday nights, with dominant showings on the 7-on-7 circuit and in camps. Punches well above his weight as a blocker and is a strong, physical presence in the run game. Finished the 2024 season with 32 catches for 435 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. Reclassified back into the 2026 cycle before his final year of high school football. Has less varsity experience and production than some of his highly-rated peers and a less robust multi-sport profile. Has the potential to develop into a high-volume target and early-round draft pick.”

2. Kendre’ Harrison — Oregon

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 22
School: Reidsville (N.C.)
Scouting Summary: “Freakish two-sport athlete who is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the nation, regardless of class. A true ‘first off the bus’ type. Listed at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds. Plays both tight end and defensive end for his high school team. Moves like a much smaller player. Runs well and shows the ability to separate from linebackers. Has considerable mismatch ability as a pass catcher. Does not lumber unlike many players of his size. Also flashes intriguing upside as a pass rusher on defense. Doubles as a national basketball prospect with high major offers. Averaged over 21 points and 15 rebounds per game as a high school freshman on the hardwood. Has genuine positional ambiguity at this stage in his evaluation, but owns one of the higher physical upsides in the 2026 cycle early on.”

3. Kaiden Prothro — Georgia

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 26
School: Bowdon (Ga.)
Notable Quote: “Nobody else is like Georgia for me,” Prothro told Rivals. “I have been there a lot, they have a lot there to help me improve and Georgia was just different for me from the other schools on my list … There are a lot of things I love about Georgia. How the program is run really stands out. What coach (Todd) Hartley does in the tight end room is big for me. Being able to go against first-round draft picks every day at practice and how they compete fits me too. Georgia just has what I am looking for.”

4. Ian Premer — Notre Dame

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 44
School: Great Bend (Kan.)
Scouting Summary: “One of the most dynamic athletes in the country on Friday nights excelling at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Verified 6-foot-4.5, 230 pounds with quality length. High-flying dunker on the basketball court that averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior. Tremendous with the ball in his hands after the catch, physical runner and elusive in space. Fluid route-runner that can separate at every level of the field. Caught 30 passes for 541 yards and 8 touchdowns as a junior. Also carried the ball 37 times for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns while collecting 50 tackles and 3 interceptions on defense. Projects to tight end at the next level and will thrive as a split-out option who can win vertically in the passing game that is a willing blocker in the run game.”

5. Brock Harris — BYU

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 82
School: Pine View (Saint George, UT)
The Skinny: A must-get in-state prospect for head coach Kalani Sitake and BYU, Harris chose the local program on April 7 and remains one of the two highest-ranked commits in the class along with five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. He entertained powerhouses like Georgia, Michigan, Miami and Oregon, but Harris has been recruited by BYU since he was a freshman and that paid off this spring. “I had that comfort feeling at BYU and about BYU. I knew in my heart where I wanted to go,” he told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about his decision.

6. Mack Sutter — Alabama

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 98
School: Dunlap (Ill.)
Sutter on Alabama: “First time I stepped on campus it felt so electric and awesome and all the people there. I love Coach DeBoer. He’s down to earth. Kind of like a Midwestern guy. Big-time family guy too … Going there it’s a great place. I see myself there and the overall fit. Last year they played with a tight end every down and it’s cool to see. They’re getting those guys on the field.”

7. Brayden Fogle — Georgia

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 121
School: Lexington (Ohio)
Analyst’s Take: “When you turn on the tape, it’s not hard to see why Todd Hartley and company were in hot pursuit throughout for Fogle’s services. With almost 800 yards in his junior season, Fogle flashes the ability to split out wide, make adjustments in coverage, the ability to win 50/50 balls, and plenty of the speed and physicality that Kirby Smart covets in tight ends.” — Jake Reuse, DawgsHQ.com

8. Israel Briggs — Miami

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 145
School: Redwood (Visalia, CA)
The Skinny: Miami identified Briggs as a top target at the tight end position this cycle. He backed off an early pledge to Arizona State and the Hurricanes began to trend from there until he jumped in the mix in Coral Gables on June 24. A top-20 prospect in California, the 6-foot-3.5, 205-pounder is currently the fourth highest-ranked commit in Miami’s class that currently ranks No. 12 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

9. Xavier Tiller – Florida State

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 161
School: Langston Hughes (Fairburn, GA)
The Skinny: A one-time Texas A&M commit, Tiller committed to the Seminoles in June following his official visit to Tallahassee, along with trips to Auburn and Alabama. As a junior, he hauled in 25 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns for Langston Hughes, one of Georgia’s top programs. That followed a breakout sophomore campaign where he caught 25 balls and totaled 352 yards and seven scores.

10. Matt Ludwig — Michigan

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 182
School: Billings West (Mont.)
The Skinny: Ludwig is one of the premier athletes at the tight end position this cycle. A multi-sport athlete, he also stars in basketball, wrestling and track & field. Standing in at 6’4 and more than 200 pounds, he owns 11.44-second 100m time, a 45-foot-3.5 shot put, and a 143-foot-5 discus throw as a sophomore. On the field as a junior in 2024, Ludwig totaled 822 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on 53 receptions, averaging 15.4 yards per catch. He also notched more than 130 rushing yards and six more schools while simultaneously playing defense and serving as the team’s starting punter.