Breaking Down The Top Ten Tight Ends In Our Updated 2022 Rankings

Iowa has produced an elite group of tight ends in its history and this 2022 class is no different. Teams are absolutely stacked at the tight end position, and all ten athletes on this list will be sure-fire college football players. Let’s dive in! [player_tooltip player_id="23946" first="Eli" last="Raridon"] <a href="https://twitter.com/EliRaridon">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12929326/Eli-Raridon">Hudl</a> (Valley) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 1) 6´6 230 lbs *Notre Dame Commit [player_tooltip player_id="23946" first="Eli" last="Raridon"] is without a doubt the best TE in Iowa. His combination of strength and athleticism is nothing short of elite. Eli can do it all, which is the typical Notre Dame tight end prototype. Eli played at an elite level every single game last season and proved that he was the best tight end in his class. He put up 237 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 10.8 yards per catch, and 22 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="23946" first="Eli" last="Raridon"] is going to be on fire his senior year and I cannot wait to watch it. [player_tooltip player_id="23945" first="Gabe" last="Burkle"] <a href="https://twitter.com/GabeBurkle">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11383704/Gabe-Burkle">Hudl</a> (Prairie) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 2) 6´7 240 lbs *Iowa State Commit Gabe is an absolute beast on the field. It’s not often you see a 6´7 240 lbs tight end with the athleticism of this player. He is already a solid route runner who easily gets separation from opposing defenders. There had been some talk earlier that Gabe could switch from tight end to the offensive line, but now that he’s committed to Iowa State I assume he will be sticking with the tight end position. Gabe only got to play in three games last year, so I am excited to see how he does in a full season. Gabe totaled 155 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 15.5 yards per catch, and 10 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="23951" first="Corey" last="Phillips"] <a href="https://twitter.com/Cortaavius">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10655905/Corey-Phillips">Hudl</a> (Ames) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 3) 6´5 250 lbs *Uncommitted [player_tooltip player_id="23951" first="Corey" last="Phillips"] has received multiple Division One offers, including Kansas, Northern Iowa, and UCF. He intimidates opposing defenders with his size and it allows for him to be a dangerous receiving threat. He is a great red-zone menace when he’s used in motion to create possible mismatches - and he takes advantage. His blocking ability is elite as well, dominating opposing defenders as he creates running lanes for his teammates. Corey had one of the more productive receiving years compared to most of the tight ends on this list, putting up 349 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns, 14.0 yards per catch, and 25 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="99196" first="Brayden" last="Loftin"] <a href="https://twitter.com/BraydenLoftin1">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/8741795/Brayden-Loftin">Hudl</a> (Lewis Central) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 4) 6´5 210 lbs *Kansas State Commit [player_tooltip player_id="99196" first="Brayden" last="Loftin"] is possibly the best receiving tight end threat on this list, with the exception of [player_tooltip player_id="23946" first="Eli" last="Raridon"] and [player_tooltip player_id="23951" first="Corey" last="Phillips"]. His route-running ability is immensely impressive for his size and it shows in his film. Brayden also excels at blocking downfield and allows for good plays to become great plays. He knows how to position his body and has the ball skills to catch 50-50 balls consistently. Brayden had 315 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 12.1 yards per catch, and 26 receptions. Brayden and [player_tooltip player_id="23806" first="Thomas" last="Fidone"] have started a potential tight end factory at Lewis Central. [player_tooltip player_id="148085" first="Ty" last="Van Essen"] <a href="https://twitter.com/tyvanessen">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11631449/Ty-Van-Essen">Hudl</a> (Western Christian) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 5) 6´5 180 lbs *Uncommitted Ty has an insanely high ceiling because of his sheer athleticism and size. If he fills out his frame, he’d remind me a little bit of [player_tooltip player_id="23946" first="Eli" last="Raridon"]. His receiving ability is extremely impressive because most of the tight ends on this top ten list use their size to get open, but Ty uses pure route-running ability to get separation. That alone raises his ceiling to a super high level. Ty had the most productive year out of the tight ends on this list, he put up 374 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns, 14.4 yards per catch, and 26 receptions. As Ty fills out his frame, he will be a Division One tight end. [player_tooltip player_id="99197" first="Andrew" last="Knipper"] <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewk4415">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14657462/Andrew-Knipper">Hudl</a> (Linn-Mar) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 6) 6´4 225 lbs *Uncommitted Andrew’s ability as a blocker is unmatched. He is already a college-level blocker and so far that has been his best trait. He is sneaky quick, which allows him to catch safeties off guard and create big plays. If he continues to improve his role as a receiving threat, then he could be seeing a Division One offer by the end of the season. Andrew put up 70 receiving yards, 7.8 yards per catch, and 9 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="99198" first="Gannon" last="Williams"] <a href="https://twitter.com/williams_gannon">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11115008/Gannon-Williams">Hudl</a> (Marshalltown) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 7) 6´4 215 lbs *Uncommitted [player_tooltip player_id="99198" first="Gannon" last="Williams"] already looks like a polished tight end prospect. His footwork is excellent - his receiving ability is already a major asset to his stock. He has great ball skills that allow him to catch 50-50 balls at a high rate. This talent allows him to be a major red-zone threat as well as a player who can thrive when given a mismatch. His blocking ability is also quite impressive, allowing him to create holes for ball carriers. Gannon had 85 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 10.6 yards per catch, and 8 receptions. Additional size could make him a Division One prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="100035" first="Nathan" last="Avery"] <a href="https://twitter.com/NathanAvery84">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9011981/Nathan-Avery">Hudl</a> (Winterset) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 8) 6´4 210 lbs *Uncommitted [player_tooltip player_id="100035" first="Nathan" last="Avery"] excelled playing both ways this season. He is a reliable receiving threat and can separate himself from opposing linebackers and safeties regularly. He is gifted with above-average athleticism for a guy his size and if he progresses he could become one of the better tight end prospects. Nathan is still quite a raw prospect but he already has some of the traits you would look for in an elite tight end. Receiving-wise, Nathan put up 71 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 11.8 yards per catch, and 6 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="99202" first="Austin" last="Jensen"] <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11334965/Austin-Jensen">Hudl</a> (St. Mary’s) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 9) 6´4 190 lbs *Uncommitted Austin does not have much on film, but the film I watched showed him to be an impressive receiving threat. He has above-average ball skills for a tight end at his level and also makes quality breaks into his routes that defenders cannot keep up with. He excels off of mismatches and could be a valuable red-zone threat. Austin had 443 receiving yards, 7 receiving touchdowns, 17.0 yards per catch, and 26 receptions. His team also won the 8-Man State Championship. Braden Hermann <a href="https://twitter.com/BradenHemann">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11376896/Braden-Hemann">Hudl</a> (Waukon) (Prep Redzone Position Ranking: 10) 6´4 210 lbs *Uncommitted Braden is a major receiving threat when it comes to being a tight end. He shows tremendous adjustment to the ball and can easily track down bad throws. He also shows high ball carrier vision for a tight end. Braden knows when to make his cuts and create more yardage. If he improves as a blocker, he could skyrocket up this list and become a top-five tight end. The potential is certainly there. Braden put up 271 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 20.8 yards per catch, and 13 receptions. He also helped his team to a 10-1 record. That wraps it up for the top ten tight ends in Iowa (Class of 2022). There is an insane amount of talent throughout this top ten and a lot of it is still uncommitted.