Spring football is on the horizon for the 13 FBS programs in the state of Texas and that means it is time to shift focus toward the 2026 season and rank the 10-best players at each position, continuing with tight ends.   

The Lone Star State sent 10 programs to bowl games and two to the College Football Playoff in a historic year for college teams here in Texas. Five of the 13 finished inside the AP Top 25 and only Baylor, Sam Houston, and UTEP failed to reach the postseason. Nine of the 13 teams finished with a winning record. 

Previous rankings: QB | RB | WR

1. Terrance Carter, Jr., Texas Tech 

2025 stats: 55 receptions, 624 yards, 5 TDs 

Carter finished third on the team in receptions during his first season at Texas Tech and the two players who caught more passes – Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil – are off to the NFL. Carter is sure to become a top target for new QB Brendan Sorsby, especially on third down and in the red zone. Carter was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection in 2025 after earning All-Sun Belt First Team honors in 2024 at Louisiana. He’s one of the top tight ends in the country. 

2. Houston Thomas, Texas A&M 

2025 stats: 34 receptions, 347 yards, 2 TDs (UTSA)

Thomas was an American Athletic Conference Third Team selection in 2025 after sharing the tight end room with another talented player – Patrick Overmyer, who is now at Houston. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Thomas is a College Station native who should become a safety blanket for QB Marcel Reed. He’s an excellent pass catcher and a willing blocker. Thomas impressed Texas A&M coaches in the Week 1 meeting last year when he caught a pair of balls for 22 yards. He’s caught 68 passes for 818 yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons. 

3. Patrick Overmyer, Houston 

2025 stats: 27 receptions, 344 yards, 5 TDs (UTSA)

Another talented Roadrunner tight end moving up into the Power Four ranks. Houston loves to use the tight end and there are big shoes to fill for the departing Tanner Koziol, who was Conner Weigman’s favorite target in the red zone. Overmyer started eight times last season and was a Freshman All-American in 2024 when he caught 31 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns. The Kingwood native is 6-foot-5 and strong enough to handle himself as an in-line blocker in the Big 12. 

4. Nick Townsend, Texas 

2025 stats: 2 receptions, 7 yards 

Townsend is a ball of potential and the expected starter at tight end for the Longhorns in 2026. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has said that the tight end position is the second most important on his offense behind quarterback and Townsend could be the next great on the Forty Acres. He played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2025. The Spring Dekaney product was a four-star prospect and a Top 100 national player out of high school. 

5. Randy Pittman, SMU 

2025 stats: 23 receptions, 208 yards, 2 TDs

Pittman was one of three tight ends taken by SMU in the latest portal cycle and he was the most productive of the bunch in 2025. He only appeared in nine games for the Seminoles so he averaged nearly three catches a game. As a sophomore at UCF in 2024, Pittman caught 32 passes for 416 yards and a pair of scores. Head coach and play caller Rhett Lashlee loves to use the tight end and he needs to replace the departing production of Matthew Hibner and RJ Maryland. 

Honorable mention: Tony Livingston (Baylor), Lafayette Kaiuway (TCU), Michael Masunas (Texas), Theo Melin Ohrstrom (SMU), Jett Carpenter (Texas Tech)