The Pac-12 continued its tradition of sending tight ends to the NFL in 2023. Utah’s Dalton Kincaid was drafted in the first round by the Buffalo Bills. Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave went in the second round to the Green Bay Packers. UCLA’s Michael Ezeike was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent. With the top echelon of talent off to the NFL, who will fill their shoes? The Pac-12 has several emerging prospects at the tight end position.
5. Terrance Ferguson; Oregon Ducks
Ferguson is poised to be one of the top 10 tight ends in school history with just two seasons under his belt. He was named to the all-conference team last year as a sophomore after catching 32 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns. With Bo Nix as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the Pac-12, Ferguson offers a tall, rangy target in head coach Dan Lanning’s offense.
Ferguson has a knack for making big plays in the biggest games. He capped off last season with five catches for 84 yards in the Holiday Bowl win over North Carolina. He enters the 2023 season with a 16-game streak of catching at least one pass. It will be interesting to see how he is utilized under new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein, who was hired from UTSA.
4. Brant Kuithe; Utah Utes
How quickly we forget. Kuithe ranks among the greatest tight ends in the history of Utah football, with 148 career receptions for 1,882 yards and 16 touchdowns. He started 2022 in a similar fashion and was one of the most productive Power Five tight ends through the first four games until a knee injury ended his season.
Kuithe seems to be progressing on schedule. He was one of four players named team captains in the spring. The redshirt senior returns to action in 2023 with an experienced quarterback in Cam Rising. “When we get Brant Kuithe back, I think that position will have a whole new look,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said during spring practice.
3. Jalin Conyers; Arizona State Sun Devils
Sun Devils fans are hoping Conyers helps ease the transition to new quarterback Drew Pyne from Notre Dame. Conyers should be a reliable target as new head coach Kenny Dillingham takes over the program. In 2022, Conyers was the most productive tight end to come along for Arizona State in nearly a decade. He caught 38 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns last season as a redshirt sophomore.
Conyers turned in a monster performance in the season finale against rival Arizona. He had 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. He also became the first tight end in school history to score three touchdowns in a game during a win over Colorado.
2. Benjamin Yurosek; Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal embark on the 2023 season with a new head coach and plenty of questions after a 3-9 season. Coach Troy Taylor makes the move from Sacramento State, which had a 30-8 record on his watch. Taylor will unpack a Stanford offense with one of the best tight ends in the Pac-12.
Yurosek reeled in 49 catches for 445 yards and a touchdown last year. He had 43 receptions and 658 yards the year before that. The consistent senior will play a prominent role this year as the new coach seeks to weaponize the offense.
1. Tanner McLachlan; Arizona Wildcats
The Southern Utah transfer made a big splash when he arrived in Tucson. McLachlan totaled 456 yards on 34 receptions for an average of 13.4 yards per catch. His 34 catches were the most by an Arizona tight end since Rob Gronkowski played there in the late 2000s.
The redshirt senior from Canada saw little action at Southern Utah before bursting onto the Pac-12 scene last year. His 456 receiving yards placed him fifth on the Arizona list for tight ends in a single season.
Photo courtesy: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
