The page has been turned to almost exclusively focus on the 2026 class so this week Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is taking a look at the top five uncommitted prospects at each position and making a prediction on where they sign. We move to tight ends.
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The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star prospect reclassified in recent weeks and is so talented that he’s among the top tight ends in the 2026 group with Georgia and Texas leading his recruitment.
The way Bowman talks about Georgia’s success at tight end, how the Bulldogs use multiple tight ends in the offense at once, how he has gotten Brock Bowers comparisons from the coaches there and how Georgia’s dominance reminds him of Mater Dei’s dominance makes it appear that the Dawgs are way ahead.
Texas intrigues him a ton as do some other programs but Bowman’s reclassification doesn’t change anything when it comes to the fact that Georgia is in a great spot here.
Prediction: Georgia
Even if Georgia lands Bowman, which is expected, that should not scare away Prothro from joining him in the Bulldogs’ class because they use so many tight ends – Lawson Luckie, Oscar Delp and Ben Yurosek this season – that a lot of balls go to those players and Bowman/Prothro could be a lethal one-two punch.
There will be significant competition for the Bowdon, Ga., standout with Alabama, Auburn and others pushing – and things could definitely get more interesting if Bowman pops first for Georgia – but since Bowman and Prothro would not be used similarly by the Dawgs, getting both in the class is more likely than not.
Prediction: Georgia
Oregon, Georgia, Michigan, Miami, BYU and Utah are the top six for the St. George (Utah) Pine View standout and while there is significant interest in all of those programs, we keep coming back to one thing: The Ducks have stood out for a long, long time.
Originally from Oregon, Harris has talked highly of the Ducks, how they utilize their tight ends and his relationship with position coach Drew Mehringer among other considerations.
There is healthy competition for the four-star tight end but it would be a major surprise if he doesn’t end up in Eugene.
Prediction: Oregon
In only the last few days, Sutter has landed offers from UCLA, Colorado, North Carolina and Florida State and the Dunlap, Ill., standout took a visit to Illinois where he hit it off with the coaching staff, other tight ends, current players and a lot of fans.
Maybe that made Sutter reconsider his front-runners but Alabama and Ole Miss have been ahead of the pack for a long time. It’s always hard to say no to the Crimson Tide but Sutter’s Egg Bowl visit to Oxford went really well and he believes in coach Lane Kiffin and his offensive system. This one is close but the Rebels could have the edge.
Prediction: Ole Miss
Over the weekend, coach Bret Bielema told the media that the downstate Illinois talent in the 2026 class is “loaded” and while the Illini coach couldn’t mention JC Anderson by name, he was definitely talking about him and others.
From Mt. Zion, Ill., about an hour from Champaign, Anderson has become a major target and after his weekend visit back to Illinois it would be a surprise if the local Big Ten program missed out on him.
Ole Miss remains heavily in the mix (especially if Sutter heads to Alabama) and Texas could be re-engaging which could make things even more interesting but Anderson has been drawn to Champaign numerous times and the Illini could be tough to beat for a program that is stock up.
Prediction: Illinois
