Tight ends are an underappreciated position group on offense that can really make a huge impact in College Football. While your top receivers and running backs are being shadowed by the defense’s best players, there’s usually only a linebacker or safety on your tight ends. If you utilize your tight ends correctly, they can truly open up your passing attack and even lead your team in receiving yards and touchdowns at the end of a season.
While we’re still waiting for College Football 26 to arrive, we have a solid idea of who the top tight ends in the game will be. However, just because a tight end is ranked highly doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the most enjoyable players to use. A tight end’s rating is often affected by their blocking ability and other crucial, but not “fun” stats, so this skews the rankings ever so slightly.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at what tight ends could be the most fun to play as in College Football 26.
1. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
While it’s not often a Vanderbilt player gets brought up in any discussion about top college football players, Eli Stowers is certainly an exception. Ranked as the top tight end in the country by many experts, Stowers has been one of the most valuable tight ends over the past two seasons, transforming Vanderbilt’s passing game in the process. The senior posted a 600+ yard season in 2024 and cashed in with five touchdowns to boot.
What makes Stowers such an intriguing player in College Football 26 is his athleticism. He’s consistently able to break tackles, juke defenders out in the open field, and possesses enough speed to outrun even some of the best defensive backs. While Vanderbilt isn’t going to be many players’ top picks in a Dynasty playthrough, Eli Stowers makes playing as the Commodores a worthwhile endeavor. That, and it helps that Vanderbilt has returning QB Diego Pavia back under center, who has enough skill to get the ball to Stowers on a regular basis.
2. Max Klare, Ohio State
Max Klare was a highly underrated tight end in 2024, going for nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns at Purdue. After a productive season as a Boilermaker, Klare transferred to Ohio State, where he should be able to get the most out of his sophomore year. Like Stowers, Klare’s biggest strength is his ability to get open and make defenders miss in the open field.
Klare had 30 catches for a first down in 2024, making him a go-to target for whoever lines up at QB for the Buckeyes in College Football 26. Klare also benefits from being in the same offense as CFB 26 cover athlete Jeremiah Smith, who is guaranteed to draw a majority of an opposing defense’s attention. With Smith running wild all over the field and Klare being the number one option at his position, he should be one of the most enjoyable tight ends to play as in College Football 26.
Also, if you want to play as Klare, you get to use Ohio State, which is certainly a boon for anyone not from Michigan.
3. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Kenyon Sadiq might be the biggest unknown on this list, but we have a feeling that won’t last for very long. Sadiq served as the backup tight end at Oregon in 2024, playing behind Terrance Ferguson, who put up great numbers in Dan Lanning’s offense. Sadiq, who some believe is a better athlete than Ferguson, should be able to replicate and maybe even surpass Ferguson’s production in 2025.
The new number one Oregon tight end is a freak athlete and can do just about anything at the position. He’s a terrific blocker as well as one of the most consistent pass-catching tight ends, despite limited playing time. Oregon should have a potent offense as always, and Sadiq might just be the most valuable pass catcher by the time the season rolls around.
As if playing as Oregon wasn’t going to be fun enough already in College Football 26, playing with Sadiq is the cherry on top.
4. Justin Joly, NC State
In the past two seasons, Justin Joly has been one of the most consistent tight ends in the country. His combined 1,247 receiving yards in 2023 and 2024 were the second-best in college football, trailing only Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr., two top tight end draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. While Joly should be able to continue to put up those numbers in 2025, his athleticism and metrics are what should make him a fun tight end in College Football 26.
The NC State tight end stands at 6’3″, 235 pounds, and moves just as well as any tight end in the country. This allows Joly to reach up and grab just about any ball that’s thrown at him. And to boot, after he makes the catch, he can separate with ease and rack up a ton of YAC in the process. NC State isn’t going to be a popular team pick in College Football 26, but Joly should give you a reliable passing target on offense if you decide to use the Wolfpack.
5. Tanner Koziol, Wisconsin
To wrap up the list, we have one of the most formidable tight ends in the entirety of College Football 26. Tanner Koziol, out of Wisconsin, is perhaps the biggest mismatch for any opponent. The junior stands at 6’7″, 230 pounds, meaning he’s able to catch the ball over just about any defender’s head. Koziol spent the 2024 season at Ball State, where he put up over 800 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Now, he joins an upstart Wisconsin team and has the chance to prove himself against Big 10 opponents. No matter who Wisconsin plays in College Football 26, Koziol is a matchup nightmare for your opponents. You can use him in the slot and guarantee first downs if you throw the ball high enough, but Koziol is also agile enough to run seam routes up the field and score some big yardage.
And with that, we’ve wrapped up our list of the top five most fun tight ends to play as in College Football 26. Did we leave anyone off the list? Let us know down in the comments below.
