Top 10 tight ends to watch out for heading into Week 13 of college football ft. Harold Fannin
Tight ends are masters of many trades by nature. A great tight end has to be an effective blocker, a solid receiver and be able to get tough yards in the middle of the defense after the catch.
Unfortunately, many of the nation's best tight ends toil in obscurity, like Bowling Green star Harold Fannin, the best semi-unknown player in college football. Here are 10 tight ends to watch in Week 13.
10 tight ends to watch in Week 13
10. Anthony Torres, Toledo
Torres is a 6-foot-6 standout who was a second-team All-MAC pick a season ago. He's a red zone machine, as seven of his 21 catches on the year have gone for touchdowns. In fact, Torres already played his Week 13 game against Ohio on Wednesday, catching a TD pass for Toledo's only score.
9. Matt Lauter, Boise State
A 6-3 junior, Lauter is contributing in a big way for the likely CFP-bound Broncos. On the season, he has 33 catches for 399 yards and six touchdowns. Lauter has caught touchdowns in three of Boise's last four games and will look to continue his run at Wyoming.
8. Joshua Simon, South Carolina
This senior tight end is also on fire right now. Simon is 6-4 and has managed to snag touchdown catches in the Gamecocks' last four games, all of which were victories. On the year, he has 31 catches for 433 yards and six touchdowns. He could really mess with FCS Wofford this week.
7. Mason Taylor, LSU
While LSU's season is sinking away, the 6-4 Taylor has remained as steady as ever. On the year, he has 49 receptions for 478 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Taylor leads the team in catches and should be ready for a big game against Vanderbilt.
6. Holden Willis, Middle Tennessee
Willis has been a big-play machine for MTSU. The senior is a close second on the team in catches (44) and receiving yards (681) while tying for the lead in touchdown grabs (three).
The 6-4 Willis has done all this despite missing a game earlier in the month. He and the Blue Raiders will face New Mexico State this weekend.
5. Colston Loveland, Michigan
Possibly the most decorated NFL prospect in the class, Loveland won't put up huge numbers, but Michigan leans on him heavily. His 53 receptions for 560 yards and four touchdowns make up a sizeable percentage of Michigan's passing game. The 6-5 junior will be catching passes in the NFL soon.
4. Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse
The 6-5 Gadsden missed almost the entire 2023 season, but has made up for lost time. This year, he has 54 catches for 707 yards and four touchdowns. Syracuse will face a surprisingly strong UConn team on Saturday and Gadsden might be a key to the game.
3. Tanner Koziol, Ball State
Koziol is another underrated star. At 6-7, he's not only the best option in the Ball State offense, he's almost the only one. His 79 catches are more than double the second-leading receiver, and Koziol has 724 yards and seven touchdowns.
He caught 11 passes for 95 yards in BSU's last game and will face Bowling Green (and another great tight end) this week.
2. Tyler Warren, Penn State
The 6-6 Warren is a significant reason for Penn State's success this season. His 67 catches are more than double the second-best Nittany Lion target. Warren has 808 yards and five touchdowns. At Minnesota this weekend, he can continue his quest toward a 1,000-yard receiving season.
1. Harold Fannin, Bowling Green
Circle the Ball State/Bowling Green game this weekend, because it includes two of the nation's best tight ends. Fannin is re-writing the tight end record book. The 6-6 junior was All-MAC last year, but he could be an All-American this year.
Fannin has 83 catches for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns. He makes up more than half of the Bowling Green passing totals and eight of the 13 passing TDs.
Fannin has four games with 10+ catches this season and has surpassed 100 yards six times. He and Tanner Koziol bring the tight end battle of the year to MAC action this week.
Which tight ends will you be watching? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!