Ranking the Best Tight Ends Who Will Play Against Oklahoma in 2026

The Sooners' defense has consistently gotten better during Brent Venables' tenure, but there's still work to do when it comes to containing tight ends.

Missouri Tigers tight end Brett Norfleet (87) runs with the ball during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

NORMAN — As good as Oklahoma’s defense has become under Brent Venables, the Sooners have, at times, struggled to contain athletic tight ends.

In 2024, OU struggled with Ole Miss’ two-tight end looks in its loss to the Rebels. Last year, the Sooners allowed Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas to catch six passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in the teams’ regular-season meeting.

Though Cuevas went off, that performance went down as a one-off, as the Sooners held other strong tight ends — like Michigan’s Marlin Klein, Missouri’s Brett Norfleet and LSU’s Trey’Dez Green — in check.

Here are the top five tight ends Oklahoma will battle in 2025:

5. Houston Thomas, Texas A&M

UTSA Roadrunners tight end Houston Thomas (0) runs with the ball against the South Florida Bulls during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Admittedly, many of the SEC’s top tight ends from last year are either in the NFL or playing elsewhere at the college level. Ole Miss’ Dae’Quan Wright and Texas’ Jack Endries would have been two of the toughest players for OU to contain, but both of them are now vying for spots at the professional level.

That means Texas A&M transfer tight end Houston Thomas will take the No. 5 spot.

Thomas spent four years at UTSA before transferring to Texas A&M in January. His strongest season came in 2024, when the tight end logged 470 yards and three touchdowns on 34 catches. Thomas’ numbers weren’t as flashy last year, but he was still a meaningful piece to the Roadrunners’ offense, catching 34 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns.

The Aggies badly need a tight end to step up after Nate Boerkircher was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and Theo Melin Ohrstrom transferred to SMU. If Thomas is productive, it will take pressure off dynamic-but-turnover-prone quarterback Marcel Reed.

4. Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats tight end Willie Rodriguez (81) is tackled by Auburn Tigers linebacker Xavier Atkins (17) during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Kentucky tight end Willie Rodriguez didn’t put up all-conference numbers last year. He ended 2025 with 310 yards and a touchdown while playing in the Wildcats’ inconsistent offense.

But between his 6-4, 252-pound frame and his two years of SEC experience, he takes the No. 4 spot.

Rodriguez’s best game in 2025 came in the Wildcats’ loss to Vanderbilt when he notched 78 yards on six catches. He also had a 53-yard reception in Kentucky’s game against South Carolina.

Former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is Kentucky’s new head coach, and if the Wildcats’ offense quickly finds a rhythm, Rodriguez could be hard to stop.

3. Lawson Luckie, Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs tight end Lawson Luckie (7) celebrates after making a catch during the third quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2025 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia’s Lawson Luckie served as the backup to Oscar Delp — a 2026 NFL Draft selection — last year, but he was still impactful for the Bulldogs’ offense.

Luckie finished the year with 158 yards and four touchdowns on 15 receptions. He was integral to Georgia’s winning effort against Ole Miss in the regular season, as he caught five passes for 43 yards and three touchdowns. Luckie also had a touchdown reception against Texas.

Luckie is entering his senior season, and he notably caught 24 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024.

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Unsurprisingly, UGA comes into 2026 with one of the SEC’s top offenses. The Bulldogs have quarterback Gunner Stockton and running back Nate Frazier back as they go for their third SEC title in a row.

With Delp no longer in the mix, Luckie will likely produce a better stat line in the fall.

2. Luke Hasz, Ole Miss

Ole Miss tight end Luke Hasz (9) catches a touchdown pass during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Ole Miss defeated Georgia 39-34. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Luke Hasz was considered one of the best tight ends in the transfer portal when he chose to depart from Arkansas after the 2024 season. But he never emerged as a star during his first season at Ole Miss.

Hasz dealt with a lingering ankle injury that limited his playing time throughout the Rebels’ 2025 campaign. Plus, Wright broke out as a star and finished the season with 635 yards and five touchdowns.

But with Wright now in the NFL and Hasz closer to full health, he should play a large role on Ole Miss’ offense. Hasz recorded 324 yards and four touchdowns on 26 touchdowns for a middling Arkansas offense in 2024.

Ole Miss has Trinidad Chambliss, one of college football’s best quarterbacks, back for 2026, and Hasz could help make up for the Rebels’ losses at wide receiver.

1. Brett Norfleet, Missouri

Missouri Tigers tight end Brett Norfleet (87) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

As Missouri’s offense sputtered late in the 2025 season, so did Norfleet’s statistics.

Norfleet surpassed 30 yards in four of Mizzou’s first six games. His best game in the second half of the season was against Arkansas, when he caught only two passes for 13 yards.

Norfleet still ended the season with 254 yards and five touchdowns. He caught two touchdown passes in the Tigers’ win against Kansas, and he logged a score in their close loss to Alabama.

The jury’s still out on how good Missouri’s offense will be in 2026. Quarterback Austin Simmons and wide receiver Cayden Lee both transferred in from Ole Miss, and it’s hard to predict how quickly they’ll fit into the Tigers’ system. Plus, running back Ahmad Hardy — the SEC’s leading rusher last year — suffered a gunshot wound in May.

But with Norfleet’s 6-6, 263-pound frame, he can be a safe option to help Missouri’s offense get moving.