Top 10 tight end signees in the 2025 class

Top tight end recruits across the country in the 2025 class have chosen their next destination.

Of the top 50 players at the position nationally, 48 have signed with a college program and many are expected to enroll early over the next month.

The top 10 prospects rank among the 200 best nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, including a pair who sit just outside five-star status with one more rankings update to go.

Below are where the top tight end prospects in the 2025 cycle signed earlier this month:

1) Elyiss Williams – Georgia

School: Camden County (Ga.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 36

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.”

2) Linkon Cure – Kansas State

School: Goodland (Kan.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 40

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.”

3) Andrew Olesh – Penn State

School: Southern Lehigh (Pa.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 55

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.”

4) DaSaahn Brame – Tennessee

School: Derby (Kan.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 78

Commitment Breakdown: “Every time I was at Tennessee for a visit, I didn’t want to leave,” Brame said. “Knoxville is an amazing place with great people and a great coaching staff. The campus is beautiful, most dream of playing in a place like Neyland Stadium and the fans are crazy. Then I get to play in a great offense for an offensive-minded head coach that I have a great relationship with. Coach Heupel spent a lot of time with me on my official visit, we have talked a lot and he wants to move me around, put me in the slot, flex me out and do a lot of things with me.” – Brame to On3’s Chad Simmons

5) Nick Townsend – Texas

School: Dekaney (Texas)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 108

Analyst’s Take: “Townsend is a very interesting overall prospect. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and is a truly quick and overall athletic player who flashes playmaking both as a tight end on film and as an off-ball linebacker. It’s not hard to imagine him finding success in either direction, although the fact his lead recruiter is Jeff Banks points to tight end being the staff designation moreso than linebacker. He’ll eventually fill out to 240 or so and maintain agility and burst which will translate well at either position. As a tight end he has the open field fluidity and overall athleticism to play as an H in 12 personnel who moves around like Ja’Tavion Sanders in recent years. To play as the sole tight end in spread sets will require some added size and blocking ability but Townsend shows a lot of strength and willingness to do the dirty work at that position as well. He should be a dual-threat tight end in time who can be a weapon in the seams or screen game and also a capable blocker.” — Charlie Williams, InsideTexas.com

6) James Flanigan – Notre Dame

School: Notre Dame De La Baie Academy (Wisc.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 117

Commitment Breakdown: “I’m a Midwest kid. Notre Dame is just special to me. It was apparent beyond the USC game. It’s a great program with great tradition. They’re currently a great football team. I definitely think that (head) Coach (Marcus) Freeman has the capability to coach the team to a national championship. The culture is amazing. It’s the real deal.” — Flanigan to BlueandGold.com

7) Kiotti Armstrong – Texas A&M

School: Jasper (Texas)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 120

Notable Quote: “I like the people there… They are telling me that I am versatile and will be able to play in that system. I like coach Mike Elko and the new staffI like how they told me they think I can keep developing and I can do anything on the field. They think I can line up out wing, in the wing, a two-point stance, all of it.” — Armstrong to On3’s Chad Simmons

8) Kaleb Edwards – Alabama

School: Oak Ridge (Calif.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 138

Scout’s Take: “Edwards is 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. If it’s a smaller guy, he’s going to win with his frame and his physicality. If he’s going up against linebackers that can match with him physically, he has the foot speed and the wiggle in order to separate from guys who may be more physical.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings

9) Vander Ploog – Oregon

School: Troy (Calif.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 170

Scout’s Take: “Ploog is a prospect On3 has been higher than the industry on for the majority of the cycle. He’s one of the more productive pass-catching tight ends in the 2025 cycle with 28 receiving touchdowns over the past two seasons. Ploog is a big target who primarily lines up as an outside wide receiver at the high school level. He’s a mismatch against smaller corners and shows the ability to go up and win jump balls. He’s also a good athlete at around 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. We see the athleticism on the basketball court, as well. Ploog will need to continue adding weight an strength to become a complete tight end, but the pass catching skill is advanced and points to mismatch ability at the college level.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings

10) Thomas Meyer – Iowa

School: Clear Lake (Iowa)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 197

Recruiting Breakdown: Meyer chose Iowa over scholarship offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, Duke, Stanford, Miami, and Texas A&M.

“I just feel like Iowa is the best fit for me and it’s been a dream of mine ever since I was little,” he told HawkeyeReport. “It’s a great feeling.”