Rankings Update: New Class of 2026 Tight Ends

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We recently updated our Class of 2026 Rankings! In this article we are going to share a bit about some of the Tight Ends we have added to the rankings for this update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1368103"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66bf639480ba9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Playing on one of the best teams in the state of North Carolina, DJ didn't necessarily get a ton of balls thrown his way, but what this young man put on film has caused a meteoric rise in our rankings. When you see a 6'6 two-sport star (he is a basketball player also) block as well and as aggressively as DJ in the run game, it gets you excited. DJ was used as both an in-line and H-Back/Move blocking TE in the run game and was excellent. On the few balls thrown his way, DJ showed strong hands and good athleticism in space. DJ currently has 8 Division 1 offers since April, and there's no doubt more are going to come his way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1309271"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66bf639480c33"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">When looking at River, the first thing I like is his size. He has upside and time to continue to add weight to a good 6'4 frame. Right now, it looks like River projects to be a vertical passing game threat type of tight end - he is a player who can flex out and be a dependable target for quarterbacks. River shows good hands an ability to run a wide variety of routes with good speed and balance. River picked up his first offer from Appalachian State this spring. If River is able to show some in-line blocking ability this season, more recruiting attention should come his way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1368102"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66bf639480c7d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nate is a fun player to watch on film, mainly because before you get to any of the technical analysis, he is just an aggressive and physical prospect on both sides of the ball - Nate also plays some linebacker for West Stokes. As a tight end, Nate is a good blocker both as an in-line and move TE prospect. He has already been named a team captain for this season, which speaks highly for his character. Nate was also named an All-Conference player last season. Nate is a good runner with the football in his hands and shows the physical ability to run through people. He will be a prospect to watch this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1368099"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66bf639480cc1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I absolutely love Jacob's size here - when you look at his film, Jacob looks even bigger than 6'5 - it might be because of the level of competition, but his catch radius and wingspan appear to be very long. Jacob was used more as a move/H-Back role last season and showed some soft hands catching the football. I wouldn't say Jacob is a fast/vertical type of tight end but he can run efficiently in space. As a blocker, Jacob overpowers 2nd level defenders in space. Hopefully he is able to get more targets in the passing game this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->