Baylor’s Tight Ends Reload, But the Bar Is High
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The Baylor tight ends room will once again be a strong suit of the Baylor offense. Last season, Michael Trigg was among the best tight ends in the country, with many outlets ranking him as the best. Trigg finished as a finalist for the Mackey Award as well. The 2026 room will have a large gap to fill with Trigg taking his talents to the NFL. Tight ends coach Jarrett Anderson has slowly grown into one of the most respected position coaches in the country. Let’s take a look at what he has brought in through the portal and how he has developed the position group over the past few seasons.
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Departures and Arrivals
OUT: Michael Trigg (NFL Draft)
In: Tony Livingston (Transfer Portal), Parker Almanza (High School)
Projected Depth Chart
TE2: Matthew Klopfenstein (Sr.)
TE3: Brody Wilhelm (RS Fr.)
TE4: Parker Almanza (Fr.)
What I like about the room
Tony Livingston committed to Baylor after playing at Florida for the first three years of his college career. Having spent the past two seasons playing alongside DJ Lagway, he brings an established connection with Baylor’s projected starting quarterback, along with proven SEC-level production to the Bears’ offense. Livingston had four touchdowns and 227 yards in the past two seasons at Florida. He never had the opportunity to emerge as a true starting tight end at Florida, buried in a crowded and talented room in Gainesville.
Matthew Klopfenstein also provides hope for the Bears at the position. Klopfenstein played as a secondary tight end to Michael Trigg. Klopfenstein excelled in run blocking but showed flashes of receiving last season, especially when Baylor found itself in the red zone.
I like that this room mimics the 2024 and 2025 tight end rooms. With Tony Livingston playing the Michael Trigg role as a talented receiving tight end who will get most of the snaps, and Matthew Klopfenstein playing the role he has in the past two seasons as a blocker and big red-zone threat.
What I don't like
The loss of Michael Trigg can not be undersold. Trigg single-handedly won the Kansas State game for Baylor in one of the most dominant tight end performances I have ever seen. You now miss out on the spectacular that Michael Trigg provided. While Livingston is a great player and one that will be productive for Baylor, I don't know if he provides the ability to "bail" Baylor out as Trigg did. Michael Trigg was a safety blanket for Sawyer Robertson last season, especially on third down. Only time will tell if Livingston can provide that same "bail-out" ability that Trigg had.
This article is part of a series where we break down every Baylor position following the transfer portal cycle—while the Bears could still add players.
You can see the following position groups:
- Quarterbacks
- Running Backs
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Jacob is a contributor for Baylor Bears On SI. A lifelong sports fan, he started writing game reactions and opinion pieces during Baylor football and basketball seasons, turning that hobby into a growing presence in sports media. He brings an authentic, fan-driven voice to his work and is excited to keep building his voice and breaking down the topics Baylor fans are talking about every day.
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