Top 10 tight ends in the final 2025 On300 rankings

With the February National Signing Day now just a couple of days away, the 2025 recruiting cycle is officially coming to a close. On3 has updated its player rankings for the final time.

Another loaded tight end group is heading to the college ranks. The final 2025 On300 features 24 blue-chip tight ends who ended up signing with 20 different college programs.

Penn State signed a whopping three blue-chip TEs, while Georgia and Ohio State each inked a pair this cycle. Below are the top 10 tight ends in the On300:

1. Andrew Olesh — Penn State

School: Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh
On300 Ranking: No. 29 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Highly skilled, athletic tight end with a game that should translate to the college and pro levels. Measured in at around 6-foot-5, 220 pounds prior to his senior season. Has good length with arms that measure a shad under 33 inches and big (10 ⅝-inch) hands. An explosive athlete who excels in the combine setting, running in the low 4.6 range at college camps. Has wide receiver skills in a tight end body. Lines up split out wide, in-line and even in the backfield for his high school team. An advanced route runner with the ability to create separation with his elite change of direction. Breaks off defenders with his ability to shift gears within his routes. Has strong ball skills. Catches with good technique, framing the ball. Wins in contested catch situations and finishes through contact. Outstanding after the catch.

…Explosive with the ball in his hands and is able to weave through defenses as the second level. Shows the ability with the ball in his hands, ripping off long runs on end-arounds. Also lines up as a punt returner and took one back to the house as a senior. Competitive as a blocker. Also plays defense, working as a defensive back as a senior. Finished with 53 catches for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. Weight can drop a bit in the season and will need to add good mass to his frame to be a true in-line tight end. Doesn’t face top competition at the high school level. Has a highly translatable skill set with his size, ability to separate, win at the catch point and pick up yards after the catch.”

2. Elyiss Williams — Georgia

School: Folkston (Ga.) Camden County
On300 Ranking: No. 46 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Massive tight end with arguably the largest catch radius in the 2025 cycle. Measured in at a shade under 6-foot-7 and around 245 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length with arms that measure around 34 inches with large hands. Played in a wing-t offense as an underclassman before his team opened things up to a spread as a senior. Lines up split out wide, detached and in-line. Has mismatch ability as a jump ball target. Comes down with catches in crowds of three or four defenders. Made strides with his ball skills as a in his final two years. Shows the ability to track throws over his shoulder. Fluid mover and is coordinated, especially at his size. Able to stretch the seam. Tough to bring down in the open field.

… Shows good contact balance in breaking tackles. Has a nasty stiff arm. Finished with 25 catches for 530 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. Had his best season as a senior, catching 54 passes for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns. Shows upside as a blocker. Has good play strength and doesn’t shy away from contact. Understands body positioning. Doubles as a top high school basketball player. Was a 1,000+ point scorer in just 2.5 years of varsity action and was regional player of the year as a junior. Needs a runway to get separation due to his longer stride length. Will need to improve quickness, change of direction and release to project as a high-level separator and after the catch, particularly in the intermediate area of the field. A physically-gifted in-line tight end whose ceiling will be determined by his ability to separate at all levels.”

3. Linkon Cure — Kansas State

School: Goodland (Kan.)
On300 Ranking: No. 51 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Elite jumbo athlete who has prototypical athleticism and skills for the position. Measured at 6-foot-4.5, 210 with a 32-inch arm and 10-inch hand prior to his senior season. Highly decorated track athlete as three-time state champion in the 110 meter (14.52 seconds) and 300 meter (38.90 seconds) hurdles. Also ran a very impressive 11.05 second mark in the 100 meters as a junior. Hails from a remote area of northwest Kansas and looks like a man amongst boys on Friday nights. Athleticism jumps off the film. A fluid, natural mover. Gets up to full speed quickly. Lines up both split out and in-line on offense. Shows a large catch radius. Contorts his body to make high level grabs. Comes down with contested catches in traffic.

…Has the ability to take it to the house after the catch. Finished his senior season with 1,049 yards and 17 touchdowns on 57 catches in just nine games. Additionally rushed for 191 yards and six touchdowns. Also plays defense. Excels on the hardwood, scoring in double figures for a state finalist team as a junior. Shows off his athleticism, throwing down impressive dunks. How he measures and looks in a neutral setting will add much more clarity to his evaluation given the lower level of competition he faces. Elite multi-sport profile and athleticism give him a very high ceiling at the position.”

4. DaSaahn Brame — Tennessee

School: Derby (Kan.)
On300 Ranking: No. 62 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Brame is a headlining riser within the tight end group on the heels of a great senior season and strong showing at the Polynesian Bowl earlier this month. The Tennessee signee put together some outstanding senior film, showing effortless ball skills and functional athleticism. Brame is strong at the catch point, easily plucking passes away from his frame. He shows the ability to separate as a route-runner and pick up yards after the catch. It’s not every day you see a top tight end prospect take three punt returns to the house. The strong senior season and film puts Brame within the top tier of tight end prospects for On3.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

5. Nick Townsend — Texas

School: Spring (Texas) Dekaney
On300 Ranking: No. 111 NATL.

Insider’s Take: “Townsend’s versatility and football IQ make him a valuable asset, as he can contribute effectively on both offense and defense. Known for his physicality, Townsend excels at shedding tackles and gaining yards after contact, whether he’s running the ball or making plays as a receiver. His natural instincts and adaptability make him well-suited to a variety of roles, with his combination of size, speed, and toughness suggesting he could develop into a highly effective tight end at Texas. Townsend’s willingness to do the dirty work, whether blocking, tackling, or powering through defenders, makes him an asset that coaches can deploy in multiple ways.” — Inside Texas’ Charlie Williams

6. Kaleb Edwards — Alabama

School: El Dorado Hills (Calif.) Oak Ridge
On300 Ranking: No. 118 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “So when you talk about Kaleb Edwards, you have to start with his body type. All of 6-foot-6, 235-240 pounds, and he has terrific movement skills, especially at the size for his age. This is a guy who’s got great explosiveness, and has jumped over 30 inches in the vertical. And you see that in his game. There’s moments where he’s lining up in the slot and you see him burst off the line of scrimmage. You see him running downhill. The thing that he has that I think bodes well for him in the future is the fluidity and the overall movement skills that he has in order to separate from defenders, whether that be safeties or linebackers.

…He really does check off a lot of boxes when you talk about the tight end position. I would say this is someone who really brings versatility to the tight end position. He can end up as an inline Y, he can line up as an H, and he can also line up in the slot. He really does do everything that you would possibly ask for out of your tight end. I think this is somebody who can walk in and play a role early, especially if he’s able to add some mass and really help out as a blocker early on in his career. You maybe can set him up with some gadget stuff early. Or, as you bring in 12-personnel and have two tight ends on the field… maybe he’s the guy who detaches.” — On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire

7. James Flanigan — Notre Dame

School: Green Bay Notre Dame De La Baie
On300 Ranking: No. 131 NATL.

On3 Future Freak: “Nobody may have a more robust multi-sport profile in the 2025 cycle than James Flanigan. He is a true three-sport standout as a blue-chip football player, national level track athlete and key contributor for a state championship hockey program that pumps out college players. Flanigan’s combination of explosive strength and athleticism at his size sticks out. The Notre Dame legacy also has NFL pedigree as his father (3rd round pick) and grandfather (2nd round pick) both played in the league.” — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

8. Brody Lennon — Ohio State

School: Cleveland Gilmour Academy
On300 Ranking: No. 160 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Brody Lennon is a prospect that we had always held in high regard off of his production and film, but due to a lack of verified size and testing, we were unable to comfortably determine his true floor and ceiling. However, during this summer camp circuit, Lennon has laid down some impressive athletic testing metrics including a 4.5 40-yard dash during a college summer camp. Plus, we were able to verify his size with him measuring in at multiple programs over the 6-foot-4 mark, and 215-plus pounds with excellent length. So when we went back and reevaluated the tape through this new lens we felt that he was worthy of a spot in the On300 heading into his senior season due to his combination of size, positional traits and movement skills.” — On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire

9. Vander Ploog — Oregon

School: Fullerton (Calif.) Troy
On300 Ranking: No. 166 NATL.

Coach’s Take: “He’s a special, special talent,” Troy head coach Michael Echaves said. “In our offense we’re primarily a three-back run offense. We have that one receiver and that’s Vander, but we put Vander at all running back positions. We try to get him the ball as much as we can because he’s just a special talent and we realize that so we’re just trying to get him the ball as much as we can in his hands and let him do work.”

“He changes the complexion of a defense exclusively by where he lines up,” Echaves said. “And so we are able to do what we’re able to do as an offense because we have a weapon like him. Obviously we have guys around him that are doing a great job but Vander’s definitely a guy that I know every defensive coordinator’s staying up at night thinking ‘how the heck do we stop this kid?’

10. Kiotti Armstrong — Texas A&M

School: Jasper (Texas)
On300 Ranking: No. 184 NATL.

About Armstrong: Committed to Texas A&M on June 14, choosing the Aggies over Texas. One of the three top in-state signees in Mike Elko’s class. Recorded 36 catches for 683 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. Caught 18 TDs across final three seasons. The lone tight end in A&M’s 2025 class.