College Football Draft Kit: 2024 Fantasy Tight End Rankings

With the core of draft season approaching, the RotoWire staff continues its coverage of their breakdowns of the top players at each position. Following the flashy wideouts, we close out our rankings series with a look at some of the premier tight ends around the nation.

These rankings are based on a half-point per reception scoring and may vary based on league scoring settings.

2024 College Fantasy Football Draft Kit

• College Football Fantasy Quarterback Rankings
• College Football Fantasy Running Back Rankings
• College Football Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings
• College Football Projections
• College Football Fantasy Five
• College Football Rankings
• College Football Cheat Sheet
• National Championship picks
• National Championship odds
• Heisman Watch
• Heisman Odds

2024 College Football Tight End Rankings

1) Harold Fannin, Bowling Green

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Fanning displayed some impressive spurts as a freshman in 2022, including notching four touchdowns on the ground in addition to his 19 grabs for 218 yards and a touchdown. While he didn't reach pay dirt on his 14 carries last season, Fannin made up for it by improving his standing as a pass catcher, hauling in 44 balls for 623 yards and six touchdowns despite missing a pair of games during the middle of the campaign. Fannin should remain front and center in the Falcons' offense in 2024 and should benefit from continuity under center with Connor Bazelak returning.

2) Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Gadsden posted a phenomenal 2022 campaign, racking up 61 grabs for 969 yards and six touchdowns, situating him as the 1A or 1B tight end alongside Brock Bowers atop the fantasy tight end board. He started strong with a six-catch effort for 57 yards and a touchdown against Colgate, but Gadsden's season ended early in Week 2 after suffering a Linsfrac injury. Fast forward to 2024, and Bowers (NFL) is out of the equation, leaving Gadsden among the top tight ends off the board again. He'll have fresh blood under center in the form of Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord and a new head coach in Fran Brown and Jeff Nixon as the OC, coming over from the New York Giants. Regardless, Gadsden sports enough talent to remain a priority target in the offense in 2024 and should remain among the first tight ends off the board in fantasy drafts. 

3) Brant Kuithe, Utah

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

It may be difficult to remember back to the 2021 season, Kuithe's fourth with the Utes, but he looked dominant connecting with Cameron Rising, compiling 50 grabs for 611 yards and six touchdowns. He was well on his way toward a promising season and the NFL Draft in 2022 when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 4, finishing the year with 19 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns despite the limited action. A longer recovery than expected kept Kuithe from the field for all of 2023 as well, but he returned to action during the spring and appears primed for a big season. Aiding his cause is the return of Rising, who missed the 2023 season as well due to injury. The tight end position has long been one of importance in the Utes' offense, producing a recent draftee in former teammate Dalton Kincaid, and Kuithe has a chance in 2024 to get his name back on NFL draft boards.

4) Colston Loveland, Michigan

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Loveland was a well-known name in fantasy circles entering the 2023 campaign, and he proved those who drafted him right to the tune of 45 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns a season ago. There's certainly no shortage of roster and coaching overturn in 2024; head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers' head coaching job, and starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That said, also gone are top targets Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, leapfrogging Loveland to the front of the line in terms of experienced pass catchers. Regardless of whether Alex Orji - the presumed favorite - or Davis Warren - the darkhorse - wins the starting job under center, Michigan's offense portends to another huge campaign for the talented tight end, who many view as the potential top tight end off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

5) Luke Lachey, Iowa

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Lachey began the 2023 campaign off on a hot note, recording 10 grabs for 131 yards through the first two games, but a leg injury suffered early in Week 3 against Western Michigan would cost him the rest of the season. Fortunately, he's back in good health ahead of the 2024 season, and Cade McNamara returns under center after McNamara's season also ended prematurely due to injury. To put it plainly, Iowa's offense can't get any worse under the direction of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who inherits an offense that tallied 20 total touchdowns last season over 14 games, averaging out to the worst mark in college football. McNamara and Lachey's return should bolster the passing attack, and the tight end remains a key position in Lester's offense, so Lachey should have big things in store again in 2024. 

6) Jake Briningstool, Clemson

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

A multi-year staple in the Clemson offense, Bringinstool took a leap in his junior campaign in 2023, doubling his catches from 2022 (50 from 25) and nearly doubling his yardage (up to 498 from 285 the year prior) while adding a touchdown from four to five. On another positive note, Briningstool showed his potential in the bowl game against Kentucky, leading the team with nine grabs for 91 yards. Cade Klubnik returns under center for the Tigers, and the two should forge a strong connection in the passing attack again in 2024, making Briningstool a likely top-10 tight end in fantasy drafts. 

7) Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Prieskorn's tenure with Ole Miss began slowly, missing the first three games before slowly integrating into the offense. He was at his best over the season's final three games, amassing 20 catches for 243 yards and four touchdowns over that span. While that outburst is unlikely to replicate over a full 12-game season, it should suggest the senior is headed for a better statistical campaign in 2024. The Ole Miss offense may tip the scales toward the passing attack a bit more this season following the departure of star running back Quinshon Judkins for Ohio State, especially with a budding signal-caller under center in Jaxson Dart. Prieskorn certainly sports significant upside this season and should be viewed as a candidate to draw closer to his numbers at Memphis in 2022, when he tallied 48 grabs for 602 yards and seven touchdowns over 14 games.

8) Holden Willis, Middle Tennessee State

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Willis officially switched to tight end this offseason, a position he essentially played last year as well despite being listed as a wide receiver. Regardless, he posted 46 grabs for 697 yards and five touchdowns, and quarterback Nicholas Vattiato returns under center after turning in 3,092 passing yards and a 23:13 TD:INT ratio. Willis and the offense will undergo some change in terms of the scheme, with former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason taking the head job in Murfreesboro and Northern Iowa offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder taking over as OC. While the tight end position may not produce at quite the same level in Reeder's offense, Willis should still remain heavily involved as a receiver in 2024.

9) Justin Joly, NC State

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

A relative unknown entering 2023, Joly became the clear No. 1 target in UConn's passing attack last season, finishing the year second among tight ends in receptions (56) behind only NFL-bound Dallin Holker. Joly parlayed the season into a transfer portal upgrade in team context and competition, heading to Raleigh to join NC State with two seasons of eligibility remaining. While the tight end position hasn't been particularly fruitful for the Wolfpack in the last three seasons, the team hasn't boasted elite pass-catching ability at the position. Cary Angeline in 2020 displayed some of the upside to the position in the offense, racking up 27 catches for 412 yards and six touchdowns. Joly possesses the pass-catching ability to put up those kinds of numbers, and he's coming off the fantasy draft boards early for that reason.

10) Luke Hasz, Arkansas

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Hasz began to take off early in the 2023 campaign, totaling 15 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns over the first four contests before suffering a season-ending ankle injury early in Week 5. KJ Jefferson has left Fayetteville for UCF this offseason, but the Razorbacks found a more-than-capable replacement in Boise State transfer Taylen Green. It's worth noting that Hasz's 2023 campaign ended before the meat of the SEC schedule hit, so it's unfair just to extrapolate his four-game output and expect the results from facing an FCS team, Kent State, BYU and a porous LSU defense. Still, Hasz should remain a significant weapon in the passing attack in 2024 and should see a healthy target volume again in Bobby Petrino's offense.

11) RJ Maryland, SMU

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

Over the last two seasons in Rhett Lashlee's system, Maryland has amassed a combined 62 grabs for 814 yards and 13 touchdowns, including 34 catches for 518 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Heading into his second season with Preston Stone at the helm, there will be no lack of familiarity in the QB-TE connection in 2024, presumably benefitting the pair. Maryland and company will face a tougher schedule with the move to the ACC, but blowouts, which occurred numerous times last season, will be few and far between, meaning the Mustangs' first-team offense should remain on the field for all four quarters more often. Most of the pass-catching options return from last season, so there are certainly the tools in place for SMU's offense to flourish again in 2024, and Maryland should remain the team's top red-zone threat.

12) Tyler Warren, Penn State

2024 Fantasy Projection

2024 Fantasy Outlook

The tight end position in Penn State's offense has proven to be fruitful year in and year out, and the same held true in 2024, with Warren and Theo Johnson combining for 68 catches 763 yards and 14 touchdowns a season ago. Johnson has departed for the NFL, leaving Warren as the clear lead dog in the tight end room. That could mean more work for the senior tight end in his final college campaign, hence his placement as a TE1 in most fantasy formats. Both Drew Allar and Beau Pribula return under center, and the wide receiver room doesn't sport any proven stars atop the depth chart and last year's top option, Keandre Lambert-Smith, transferred to Auburn. So, all signs point to Warren having a major impact in Penn State's passing attack during 2024.