Fcs Football Central

Top 10 Returning FCS Tight Ends In 2025

Zachary McKinnell|
Dartmouth tight end Chris Corbo
Dartmouth tight end Chris Corbo | Dartmouth Athletics

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Dartmouth Big GreenUC Davis AggiesCornell Big RedMarist Red FoxesWilliam & Mary TribeAbilene Christian WildcatsHarvard CrimsonMonmouth HawksUIW CardinalsFurman PaladinsLamar CardinalsSouthern University JaguarsPortland State VikingsSouth Dakota State JackrabbitsSouth Dakota CoyotesMontana State Bobcats

There are fewer than 50 days until the 2025 college football season kicks off with a loaded Week 0 slate. Before the focus completely shifts to conference and team previews, FCS Football Central on SI will rank the top returning players at each position.

Rankings were constructed using multiple factors, including film, on-field production, accolades, Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades, and the general knowledge of each voter. FBS-to-FCS transfers were not included.

Some honorable mentions that received votes include Furman's Jackson Pryor, East Texas A&M's Sean Sallis, Southern's Dupree Fuller, Portland State's Tanner Beaman, UC Davis' Ian Simpson, South Dakota State's Coleman Kuntz, Montana State's Ryan Schlepp, and South Dakota's Dallas Holmes.

Below are the top returning FCS tight ends in 2025.

10. Devyn Gibbs (Lamar)

After seeing limited action his first two years, Gibbs has developed into an important offensive player for the Cardinals. He was named to the All-Southland second-team last season, catching 17 passes for 163 receiving yards and four scores. Gibbs also had the second-highest pass blocking grade among all tight ends in the Southland. Over the past three years, Gibbs has recorded 50 catches for 526 yards and eight touchdowns.

9. Logan Compton (Incarnate Word)

Compton spent two seasons at Houston before emerging as a major offensive weapon for Incarnate Word in 2024. In his first year, he posted 18 catches for 219 receiving yards and four touchdowns, which earned him first-team All-Southland accolades. He was also named to the All-Texas Non-FBS Team by Dave Campbell's. Among conference tight ends, he was tied for No. 1 in receiving touchdowns and No. 2 in receiving yards.

8. Jack Neri (Monmouth)

Neri enters next year as one of the most experienced tight ends in the nation, playing in 34 games over the past three seasons, including 27 starts for the Hawks. He had a breakout season in 2024, earning honorable mention All-CAA honors. Neri posted 32 receptions for 329 yards, while ranking third on the team with five touchdowns. He ended the year with the highest PFF grade for drops among tight ends, while ranking No. 6 in the CAA in overall offensive grade.

7. Seamus Gilmartin (Harvard)

It's the first of multiple Ivy League appearances in these rankings. After not seeing action in 2023, Gilmartin exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, earning second-team All-Ivy League accolades. He finished the season with 18 catches for 379 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He recorded at least one catch in each of the final eight games and posted a season-high 101 receiving yards in a win over Princeton. Gilmartin was the No. 2-graded Ivy League tight end last year, ranking No. 17 nationally.

6. Jed Castles (Abilene Christian)

Castles started his career as a highly-touted three-star at Texas Tech and has developed into one of the best tight ends at the FCS level. He's earned second-team All-UAC accolades in back-to-back seasons. In 2024, Castles posted 223 receiving yards on 15 catches with four touchdowns, averaging 14.9 yards per reception. In his three seasons at ACU, he's posted 49 catches for 531 yards and eight touchdowns.

5. Sean McElwain (William & Mary)

After a breakout redshirt freshman campaign, McElwain took his game to the next level in 2024. He was an honorable mention All-CAA selection, starting 11 games for the Tribe. He led the team with five receiving touchdowns, adding 361 yards on 20 catches. He is PFF's No. 2-graded returning tight end in the CAA after finishing No. 38 nationally last season. In his first three seasons, McElwain has recorded 721 receiving yards on 43 catches with six touchdowns.

4. Jackson Conners-McCarthy (Marist)

Conners-McCarthy wasted no time making an immediate impact at Marist, becoming a freshman sensation for the Red Foxes. He earned Freshman All-American honors and was an honorable mention AP FCS All-American, the first freshman in program history to earn the honor. He led the team with 50 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. Conners-McCarthy was the second-highest-graded tight end in the Pioneer League, ranking top 50 nationally.

3. Winston Williams (UC Davis)

Williams is one of two standout tight ends in UC Davis' dynamic offensive attack. He earned first-team All-Big Sky honors, finishing the year with 265 receiving yards on 34 catches and six touchdowns. He ranked No. 3 nationally in receiving touchdowns among tight ends, including a career-high two touchdowns against Sacramento State. He ended the year as one of PFF's highest-graded Big Sky tight ends, ranking top 35 nationally.

2. Ryder Kurtz (Cornell)

Kurtz put together an outstanding sophomore season, earning honorable mention AP All-American and All-Ivy honors. He posted 441 receiving yards on 36 receptions and four touchdowns in only nine games. He set the single-season program record for touchdowns for a tight end, while also setting the single-game record with two touchdowns against Princeton. He ended the year as the 30th-highest-graded FCS tight end, ranking No. 3 in the Ivy League.

1. Chris Corbo (Dartmouth)

Corbo had a breakout junior season, earning first-team All-Ivy honors and receiving FCS All-American honors from multiple publications. He finished the season with 32 receptions for 315 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranked No. 2 among tight ends in receiving touchdowns, scoring one in seven of Dartmouth's 10 games. Corbo was the No. 10-graded FCS tight end, ranking No. 1 in the Ivy League.

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Zachary McKinnell
ZACHARY MCKINNELL

Zach McKinnell is the Founder and Senior Editor of FCS Football Central. He is also a columnist for HERO Sports and a contributor for Athlon Sports. In 2022, he became an official voter in the FCS Stats Perform Top-25. He is a former contributor for Vols Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports Network, and Fly War Eagle on FanSided. Zach graduated from Auburn University in 2018.

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