National Signing Day has come and gone. Recruiting classes are mostly finished and the results are ready to be dissected. Today, Rivals.com's position-by-position look at the 2019 cycle moves forward with the country’s top tight end classes.
1. TEXAS
The Texas Longhorns signed the only Rivals100 tight end in this class, Brayden Liebrock. With his size, catch radius and ability to make plays in the red zone, Liebrock could see early playing time in Austin. He will need to add weight to his frame and get stronger, but he has some of the best hands at the tight end position. His best football is ahead of him as he develops physically, so Liebrock is about upside, but with his skill-set and size, he could make a few plays very early in his career.
2. TEXAS A&M
Jimbo Fisher and his staff signed the No. 6 class in the country and tight ends Baylor Cupp and Jalen Wydermyer were a big part of that. The Texas A&M offense is full of size at the receiver and tight end position. This pair just adds to that. Cupp is 6-foot-6 and Wydermyer is about an inch shorter. Cupp weighs around 250 pounds and Wydermyer is right about 225 pounds. Both are big bodies, both are good athletes and both project well in the Aggie offense. Cupp may be more ready today due to his build, but will enter College Station ready to compete.
3. CLEMSON
Clemson sent Jordan Leggett to the NFL in 2015 and Dwayne Allen was drafted in 2012, so who’s next for the Tigers? In its offense, the wide receivers (some call Clemson WRU) do a lot of the damage, but Leggett played a big role for the 2015 national championship team. The Tigers signed Davis Allen and Jaelyn Lay in 2019 and both are players. Lay is a big athlete who started out his high school career as a wide receiver. He is pushing 240 pounds now and he can run with great size. He could instantly give Clemson a weapon at tight end. Allen has played all over. He made a lot of plays at linebacker as a senior, but has played tight end and defensive end, too. He is a football player. Allen and Lay are different, but both could be impact players sooner rather than later for the Tigers.
4. FLORIDA
Tight ends did not play a huge role for the Florida Gators in Dan Mullen's first season, but Keon Zipperer could change that. He was a major target for Florida and he had a strong week as an Under Armour All-American. He may not be the biggest or fastest tight end, but Zipperer receives the ball well, he can line up in numerous places and he can create mismatches. He has shown he can catch the ball in traffic and he can block as well. It will be interesting to see how quickly he sees the field at the Swamp.
5. GEORGIA
There was a big need for Georgia at this position after Isaac Nauta declared for the NFL Draft and Luke Ford, a top 2018 signee got homesick and transferred. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs set their sights on a second tight end after inking Ryland Goede in December and it landed one of the hottest prospects down the stretch on National Signing Day. If you talk to people who coached or saw Brett Seither play this season, they will talk about him being a sleeping giant on the next level. He is a great athlete who can run with room to add weight to his frame. Goede is a tight end who will likely redshirt after tearing his ACL early in his senior year. He is another tight end with a great frame and excellent hands, so the Bulldogs signed a great pair. Seither will be one to watch because he was not talked about too much until mid to late January.
