Every time I update my historical numbers on tight ends, I come away thinking the same thing ... why can't there be more of them?
Over the course of the last 20+ seasons, only nine Texas tight end prospects earned a mid-4 star grade or higher in the Rivals rankings.
Six were drafted by NFL teams. Eight have played in the NFL. The numbers get even better if you add tight ends that were listed as "athletes" by Rivals as prospects. These unicorns come around often, but they typically don't lose their magic when they do.
The data actually matches the high level of hit rated we see from large defensive end/edge prospects, where non-Tweener prospects with basic four-star grades develop as NFL prospects at the rate that 5-star quarterbacks do (that's very, very good).
It's kind of crazy how few tight ends this state produces.
*****
5-stars.
2003 - Tony Hills (Texas)
2005 - Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M)
* 2021 - Ja'Tavion Sanders (Texas)
Active Players: None
High 4 stars:
2002 - Eric Winston (Miami)
2005 - Dajleon Farr (Miami)
* 2013 - Ricky Seals-Jones (Texas A&M)
2016 - Kaden Smith (Stanford)
2017 - Brock Wright (Notre Dame)
Active Players: None
Mid 4 Stars
2005 - Jermichael Finley (Texas)
2011 - Jace Amaro (Texas Tech)
2019 - Baylor Cupp (Texas A&M/Texas Tech)
Active players: 2022 Donovan Green (Texas A&M/LSU)
Low 4 Stars
2006 - Jason Fox (Miami)
2008 - James Hanna (Oklahoma)
2011 - Max Stevenson (Oklahoma)
2011 - Chris Barnett (Michigan)
2011 - MJ McFarland (Texas/UTEP)
2012 - Griffin Gilbert (TCU)
2017 - Kedrick James (Alabama/SMU)
2017 - Major Tennison (Alabama)
2018 - Mustapha Muhammed (Michigan/Kilgore JC)
2018 - Malcolm Epps (Texas/USC/Pittsburgh)
2019 - Jalen Wydemyer (Texas A&M)
2019 - Austin Stonger (Oklahoma/South Carolina)
2020 - Jalin Conyers (Oklahoma/Arizona State/Texas Tech)
2021 - Elijah Arroyo (MIami)
Active players: 2022 Jason Llewellyn (Oklahoma/Texas Tech), 2022 RJ Maryland (SMU), 2023 Chico Holt (Northwestern/Stanford), 2023 Ka'Morreun Pimpton (LSU/TCU), 2023 Jaden Platt (Texas A&M/Arkansas), 2023 Ian Flynt (Nebraska/NC State), 2025 Kiotti Armstrong (Texas A&M), Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) and 2025 Nick Townsend (Texas)
High 3 Stars
2007 - Ahmard Howard (Texas)
2007 - Alex Russian (LSU)
2009 - Hutson Prioleau (Texas A&M)
2009 - Jordan Naivar (Stanford)
2009 - Trey Graham (Texas)
2009 - Barrett Matthews (Texas)
2010 - Trent Smiley (Kansas)
2013 - Durham Smythe (Notre Dame)
2013 - Charlie Reid (TCU)
2014 - Koda Martin (Texas A&M)
2014 - Marvin Saunders (FSU)
2015 - Jordan Davis (Texas A&M)
2016 - J.C. Chalk (Clemson)
2017 - Keynel McZeal (Texas A&M)
2018 - Christoph Henle (Baylor)
2018 - Ben Sims (Baylor)
2018 - Nic McTear (San Diego State/SE Louisiana)
2019 - Jared Wiley (Texas/TCU)
2020 - Elijah Yelverton (Iowa/Colorado)
2020 - Drake Dabney (Baylor)
2021 - Juan Davis (Texas)
* Active Players: 2020 Blake Smith (Texas A&M/Oklahoma/Texas State), 2020 Brandon Frazier (Auburn), 2021 Fernando Garza (Texas A&M/Sam Houston), 2021 Dametrious Crownover (Texas A&M), 2021 Lake McRee (USC), 2021 Landen King (Auburn/Utah), 2022 Kelsey Johnson (Baylor), 2022's Sidney Mbanasor (Utah/Old Dominion), 2023 Lafayette Kaiuway (TCU), 2023 Hawkins Polley (Baylor), 2024 Jordan Washington (Texas), 2025 Pretynn Harrison (Texas Tech) and 2025 Ty Rupe UTSA)
