NCAA Transfer Portal is Light on Top Tight Ends Early Going
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The resurgence of tight ends in the college game has called for a more versatile player at the position, one who can run and catch like a receiver, block like a lineman, and sometimes even work out of the slot. The fit from the high school level to college is never a for sure thing until the pads are put on and the playbook has been installed from remembrance to muscle memory working against other top college players. As things change from one year to the next on any given roster, so do the needs of the players lining up on the field giving way to the transfer portal.
The early goings in the NCAA transfer portal is light on top-end tight ends, but there are some big names popping up and some already finding a home. One big name is Grant Calcaterra.
Calcaterra’s career has been an interesting one after coming onto the scene for the Sooners in 2017 with 162 yards off 10 receptions for three scores. The following season he was an impact player securing 26 for 396 yards with six scores. But as the seasons wore on, so did the compiling of injuries. In November 2019, Calcaterra announced his retirement from football with many believing due to multiple concussions. A return is in the works ready to lineup with Auburn as committed before Gus Malzahn was fired.
Going through a 3-7 season with a six-game losing streak is tough for any program, especially for one as historied as Tennessee. Entering with high expectations and a No. 16 AP ranking, the Volunteers drifted off the national spotlight during their downward spiral. From the outside in, there seems to be turmoil behind the scenes with a transfer portal lined with now former Tennessee players. One area that is telling thus far is at tight end where the Volunteers have lost two four-stars (Jordan Allen and Jackson Lowe) and one three-star Austin Pope. Some eyes have been opened after quarterbacks Jarrett Guarantano, Kasim Hill, and J.T. Shrout all hit the open market.
The following is a list of former four- and three-star tight ends already on the move in the NCAA transfer portal.
4-Star Tight Ends in Transfer Portal
Grant Calcaterra – Oklahoma to Auburn
Jamal Pettigrew – LSU to McNeese State
Jordan Allen – Tennessee to –
Jackson Lowe – Tennessee to –
Jacob Mathis – South Florida to –
3-Star Tight Ends in Transfer Portal
Nolan Matthews – Arizona State to SMU
Glenn Beal – Texas A&M to Louisiana
Austin Pope – Tennessee to –
Logan Compton – Baylor to –
Dontea Jones – Mississippi State to –
Jelani Woods – Oklahoma State to –
Hentry Ikahihifo – Nevada to –
Luke Johns – Georgia Tech to –
Photo credit: CrimsonandCreamMachine.com; No. 80 Grant Calcaterra