25 Missouri high school tight ends you should know entering the 2025 football season: vote for the best

Tell us which TE you think will have the best season in 2025 by casting your vote

Levi Payton | Jul 28, 2025

Platte County's Jack Utz, a senior, Kansas commit and key piece to the 2024 state championship run, is one of the top high school tight ends in Missouri and a player you should know about entering the 2025 season. / David Smith

Some of the best prospects in the state of Missouri for the 2026 and 2027 graduating classes play the tight end position, with players like Jack Brown (2027, Francis Howell Central), Jack Utz (2026, Platte County), Kevin Sullivan (2026, Rockhurst), Gabe Weaver (2026, MICDS) and Garrett Essner (2026, Rock Bridge) among some of the top recruited players at the position in the state and across the country.

Of course, the talent doesn't stop there, and we have identified 25 players who we expect to make a big impact on their respective teams across the state in 2025. Read up on each of our candidates and vote for the best in our poll at the bottom of the page to let us know who you think will have the best season.

Voting will remain open until Monday, Aug. 4, at 11:59 p.m. Central. You may vote as many times as you'd like after answering a simple Captcha question and we encourage you to share this page on all socials.

Please note this is not an overall ranking of the top players.

25 Missouri tight ends we think you should know entering the 2025 season

Jack Brown, jr., Francis Howell Central

A four-star recruit by Rivals (No. 1 tight end, No. 1 Missouri prospect for 2027), measuring 6-foot-5, 217 pounds. 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 88 national prospect, No. 6 tight end and No. 1 in Missouri for 2027. On3 also rates him as a four-star prospect. He holds 34 offers and has unofficially visited Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois and Missouri in June 2025.

Jack Utz, sr., Platte County

A Class 5 state champion and first-team all-state selection, Utz (6-5, 225) is a three-star recruit who is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 tight end in Missouri and the and No. 6 prospect in the state for 2026. Committed to Kansas, 247Sports Composite rates him as the No. 905 national prospect, No. 47 tight end and No. 13 overall in Missouri. On3 also designates him as a three-star recruit. He held 23 offers before committing to Kansas, where he joins Rockhurst’s Kevin Sullivan to give the Jayhawks two of Missouri’s best 2026 prospects at the position. Platte County returns plenty of firepower from its state championship squad and Utz is one of the biggest stars on that squad.

Kevin Sullivan, sr., Rockhurst

An elite tight end who has everything you want at the position, Sullivan (6-6, 225) is rated by Rivals as the No. 2 tight end in the state and No. 8 Missouri prospect for 2026. He joined Platte County’s Jack Utz by giving his commitment to Kansas on June 12. He comes in on the 247Sports Composite as the No. 935 national prospect, No. 48 tight end in the country and No. 15 overall in Missouri. Sullivan is a three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, 247Sports and On3.

Gabe Weaver, sr., MICDS

Committed to Minnesota, Weaver is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound three-star recruit by 247Sports (No. 9 Missouri, No. 1 tight end for 2026). The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 620 national prospect, No. 32 tight end and No. 7 in Missouri. ESPN, Rivals and On3 also rate him as a three-star recruit. He committed to Minnesota following an official visit on June 15. 247Sports indicates he recorded 40 receptions for 670 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was also a Class 5 second-team all-state selection.

Garrett Essner, sr., Rock Bridge

A Class 6 second-team all-state performer, Essner (6-6, 240) is three-star recruit by 247Sports (No. 20 Missouri for 2026), On3 and Rivals. He committed to Memphis on May 14 after helping the Bruins to a 10-2 finish and a state quarterfinals appearance after hauling in 38 receptions for 536 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. He averaged 14.1 yards per catch. 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 83 tight end in the country and No. 20 overall prospect in Missouri.

Jake Plummer, sr., Christian Brothers College (CBC)

A three-star prospect recruited to play defensive end at Fresno State, Plummer (6-6, 210) also doubles as a mauler on offense and one of the best blocking tight ends in the state. He also adds dynamics to the passing game with his size and ability to move the sticks.

Terren Williams, jr., Lamar

A Class 2 second team all-state selection, Williams has great size at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and wears many hats for the Tigers. He’s also played quarterback and closed out the season strong at running back – finishing with over 500 yards on the ground. Lining him up at tight end makes him a matchup nightmare for Class 2 foes.

Rylee Robinson, sr., Harrisburg

Wide receiver/tight end/H-back/defensive end – figuring out where to put Robinson can be a bit difficult on the offensive side of the ball because he can play anywhere. Heck, he could probably call plays and drive the team bus, too. In our view, he’s to the Bulldogs’ offense what Travis Kelce is to Kansas City’s – an elite, athletic, physical tight end who can move. Lasered at 4.77 in the 40, the 6-foot-2 big man plays fast, has great hands and is a matchup nightmare for Class 1 defenders. He averaged 18.4 yards per catch last season, finishing second on the team with 34 receptions for 626 yards in the Bulldogs’ run-heavy offense. A standout baseball and basketball player as well, Robinson also shines at defensive end, where he had 126 tackles, four sacks and four hurries as a junior.

Anthony Ford, sr., Centralia

Opportunities have been limited for Ford at the tight end position, but when he does get his hands on the ball, big things happen for the three-sport star and all-conference and all-district selection. There’s something to be said for a player who has averaged 23.6 yards per catch over the last two seasons, and that’s exactly what Ford has done. The 6-3, 225-pounder has 18 career catches for 424 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games, including a career-long 60-yarder last season. He only had eight catches in nine games in 2024, but the big man averaged 35.6 yards on those receptions.

John Jasper, sr., Joplin

With great size at 6-foot-3 and nearly 240 pounds, Jasper is a prime candidate to break out in 2025 after the Eagles lost top receivers Davin Thomas and Collis Jones to graduation. His opportunities were limited as a junior, but Jasper moved the sticks with the ball in his hands, averaging 11.3 yards per grab while securing 18 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown. He joins Layne Royal as the Eagles’ top-returning receiving leaders.

Other notables

Ty Bixler, 6-3, 190, jr., Tipton (Class 1 all-district)

Kyle Buscher, 6-4, 185, sr., Lutheran South (Class 3 all-district)

Jhett Chandler, 5-10, 150, sr., West Platte (Class 1 all-district)

Cordae Colbert, 6-2, 185, sr., Grandview (Class 4 all-district)

Kason Conyers, 6-0, 210, jr., Hickman (Class 6 all-district)

Lane Everts, 6-2, 175, sr., Sarcoxie (Class 2 all-district)

Bryson Jacobs, 6-0, 175, sr., Adrian (Class 1 all-district)

Paxton Jones, 5-11, 185, jr., Macon (Class 2 all-district)

Dawson Litterall, 5-10, 170, jr., St. Pius X (Class 2 all-district)

Mason Marden, 6-2, 215, sr., Ladue (Class 5 all-district)

Jacob Miller, 6-7, 210, sr., Penney (Class 1 all-district)

Craig Ringe Jr., 6-1, 205, sr., Eureka (Class 5 all-district)

Clark Struckhoff, 6-1, 200, sr., Herculaneum (Class 3 all-district)

Jaishon White, 6-5, 245, sr., Chillicothe (Class 3 all-district)

Brody Wilson, 6-3, 225, sr., Kickapoo (Class 6 all-district)