The Big 12’s tight end picture looks a lot different heading into the season.
A year ago, the league had real production at the position, with names like Baylor’s Micheal Trigg and Houston’s Tanner Koziol making their mark. Now those players are gone - either to the NFL or to the SEC and Big Ten - and that opens the door for a new group to take over. Some teams have proven returners, but plenty of the conference will be leaning on younger, less experienced options from places like TCU, Kansas and Cincinnati.
At the top of the list sits Texas Tech’s Terrance Carter Jr., who put together a huge season after transferring in from Louisiana. He caught 55 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns and remains the only returning All-Big 12 selection from last year. The Red Raiders have one of the league’s true headliners at the position, and Carter enters 2026 as one of the nation’s most elite tight ends.
Central Florida’s Dylan Wade comes in at No. 2 after setting program records for a tight end with 43 receptions, 523 yards and five touchdowns. His role could grow even more if the Knights get better quarterback play this season.
Kansas State’s Garrett Oakley rounds out the top three after a breakout year in which he posted 38 catches, 389 yards and six scores. At 6-foot-5, he became a red-zone problem for defenses and set career highs across the board.
There’s a strong transfer presence near the top, too. BYU’s Walker Lyons arrives after a productive season at USC, where he had 20 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns. The Cougars may need him to be their top target with uncertainty at wide receiver.
Houston is hoping for a similar payoff with Patrick Overmyer, who transferred in from UTSA after catching 27 passes for 344 yards and five touchdowns last season. He has more than 600 yards over two seasons with the Roadrunners and steps into a spot the Cougars know can matter after losing Koziol.
Arizona also made a portal addition in Cole Rusk, a 6-5 senior who spent last season at Illinois. He had 19 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown there, but he has shown bigger-play ability before, including 512 yards at Murray State in 2023.
Iowa State brought in Tyler Fortenberry from Arkansas State, where he finished with 32 receptions, 294 yards and two touchdowns. The Cyclones needed to replace production at several spots after losing Benjamin Brahmer to Penn State, and Fortenberry also arrives with his quarterback from last season, Jaylen Raynor.
Baylor’s Tony Livingston lands at No. 8 after coming over from Florida, where he had 11 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns and started five games. The Bears paired him with quarterback DJ Lagway, another familiar face from Gainesville, to help make the transition smoother.
Colorado’s Zach Atkins checks in at No. 9 after catching 20 passes for 149 yards last season. He was a steady short-yardage option for the Buffaloes and will be looking for more chances downfield if quarterback play improves.
TCU closes out the top 10 with Ka’Morreun Pimpton, whose 2025 line was just one catch for three yards and a touchdown because injuries limited him. Still, the former North Crowley standout brings plenty of upside and was one of TCU’s most consistent offensive performers in spring camp. He appears to have the first shot at replacing DJ Rogers.
The rest of the ranking runs from West Virginia’s Josh Sapp at No. 11 to Cincinnati’s Gavin Grover at No. 12, Kansas’ Carson Bruhn at No.
13, Arizona State’s Kristian Ingram at No. 14, Utah’s Noah Bennee at No. 15 and Oklahoma State’s Donovan Green at No.
In Other News...
TCU Just Put Itself In Position For A Huge Recruiting Win
TCU is still in the mix for one of Louisianas better defensive prospects, as Marrero Archbishop Shaw safety Rontrae Carter has trimmed his options to three after taking official visits to TCU, Houston and Mississippi State. Carter, who has been one of the Frogs more closely tracked recruiting targets, fits the kind of profile the staff has been chasing as it looks to add more length and range to the back end of the defense.
What may give TCU a real opening here is the way Carter has described the programs approach. He has pointed to the staffs steady relationship-building and the schools player development plan as reasons the Frogs remain a serious contender, which is exactly the sort of endorsement that matters this late in the process. Ranked among the top safeties nationally and one of Louisianas better overall prospects, Carter now has to sort through three finalists, with TCU very much in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]