As part of the Group of Five, the American Athletic Conference (AAC) is often overlooked — doubly so for tight ends, who are underutilized on the collegiate stage. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t talented players worth knowing, as the 2024 AAC TE Rankings showcase.
AAC 2024 TE Rankings
10) Casey Kelly, East Carolina Pirates
Is 2024 the year Casey Kelly finally breaks out? After five years (four at Ole Miss and one at Oregon), 48 games, and nine starts at the Power Five level, the brother of former Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly sought an opportunity for more playing time.
East Carolina lost its TE1 (Ryan Jones) and TE2 (Shane Calhoun) this offseason, leaving 55 receptions on the table. If all goes to plan, Kelly will see most of them and surpass his 33-325-5 career receiving line in one year as the starter.
11-for-11 start for @BoNix10 🔥
First TD as a Duck for Casey Kelly 🦆#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/opHCv16N7s
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) September 23, 2023
9) Luke McGary, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
As a true freshman, Luke McGary earned Tulsa’s TE1 mantle, hauling nine passes for 115 yards and three scores. With Davis Brin gone and an inexperienced passer taking the reins (either Kirk Francis or Cardell Williams), the Golden Hurricane will rely on the TE position more heavily in 2024.
McGary flashed his receiving ability last season, but he’s more than a pass catcher. He proved to be a capable and willing blocker in both phases and even received academic all-conference honors. The craziest part? McGary didn’t play tight end until his final high school season — his floor is No. 9 in the AAC TE Rankings.
8) Oscar Hammond, North Texas Mean Green
North Texas TEs accounted for just 10 catches last season — expect Oscar Hammond to crush that number on his own in 2024. He spent two years at DII Central Oklahoma, culminating in a third-team All-MIAA campaign: 33 receptions, 463 yards, and four touchdowns.
In 2023, the Mean Green didn’t have Hammond’s route running at the position. Now that they do, Hammond could post a 30-350-3 receiving line.
7) Reese Clark and Landon Morris, Temple Owls
David Martin-Robinson and Jordan Smith are gone after combining for 65 catches, 824 yards, and eight TDs last season. Yet, the Owls didn’t feel the need to add a transfer at the position, opting to roll with Reese Clark and Landon Morris as their next TE duo.
A former WR recruit, Clark is a smaller TE at 6’4″ and 220 pounds. As a redshirt freshman, he operated as the TE3, spending most of his time in the slot and catching 18 passes for 145 yards and one score. Meanwhile, Morris had to sit out the season due to the NCAA’s double-transfer rule.
MORE: AAC Strength of Schedule
Morris signed with Syracuse as a three-star prospect and participated in spring practices in 2021 before entering the portal and transferring to Utah. He redshirted in 2022 and then transferred again in 2023, this time to Temple in 2023.
However, Morris didn’t wallow on the sidelines, instead earning offensive scout team player of the week twice during the season. The talents there to become Temple’s next productive TE (81-1,456-13 receiving line in high school) — it’s up to the Owls to help unlock his potential.
6) Bryce Damous and Dallas Payne, UAB Blazers
The Blazers return a pair of redshirt seniors who form a reliable TE room. Bryce Damous has been the starter since 2022, when he led the position with 14 receptions, 163 yards (54 of which came against LSU), and a score.
In 2023, he upped the ante, taking 24 passes for 242 yards and three scores, including TDs against Georgia and Memphis. Damous is the primary option inline, but he isn’t the only option. Dallas Payne exploded in his second year with the Blazers, generating 190 yards on just 18 receptions. He didn’t score, but he can work downfield and is shifty after the catch.
5) Anthony Landphere, Memphis Tigers
A sixth-year senior, Anthony Landphere has likely reached his ceiling, but that’s not a negative at such a volatile position. Memphis deployed him as an inline vertical threat last season, allowing him to rack up 260 yards and three scores on 29 receptions.
He won’t make defenders miss in the open field, but he doesn’t have to when his targets are coming a couple of yards shy of the first-down marker.
4) Alex Bauman, Tulane Green Wave
As a true freshman in 2022, Alex Bauman played in 12 games (two starts) and caught eight passes for 112 yards and a TD … which was one of the more memorable plays in Tulane football history.
Tulane freshman tight end Alex Bauman, a Red Bank Catholic grad and the 2021 @ShoreSportsNet MVP, hauls in a 6-yard TD to give the Green Wave a 46-45 win over USC in the Cotton Bowl. pic.twitter.com/d4WQscy8Cq
— Bob Badders (@Bob_Badders) January 2, 2023
Down six against No. 10 USC in the Cotton Bowl, Bauman somehow came away with a contested game-winning six-yard TD. He built on the hype with his sophomore showing (35-286-5), doing most of his damage from the slot. Bauman did have some drop issues, but if he can clean that up in 2024, he’ll solidify his place at No. 4 on the AAC TE Rankings.
3) Oscar Cardenas, UTSA Roadrunners
Despite having a bit of a down year (32-438-2 in 2022 to 32-280-2 in 2023), Oscar Cardenas garnered third-team All-AAC honors last year and made the Shrine Bowl 1000 watch list. Losing longtime QB Frank Harris will hurt the team, but redshirt sophomore Owen McCown has the tools to succeed, and he will look Cardenas’ way often early on.
The redshirt senior enters his final season 20 pounds lighter (285 to 265), which should only improve his movement skills inline and from the slot.
2) Colin Weber, Charlotte 49ers
Colin Weber was a revelation for Charlotte last season. He led the 49ers in receptions (34), becoming the first TE in program history to do so. Additionally, his 362 yards ranked second only to WR Jairus Mack (453). Across the two years prior, Weber had just one repetition for negative two yards. But wait, it gets better.
Weber’s best two performances came against two of Charlotte’s toughest opponents: Memphis and Florida. He recorded his first 100-yard game (117) at home vs. the Tigers, reeling in five passes to help force overtime with the perennial AAC contender. In “The Swamp,” Weber caught all four of his targets for 54 yards, sparing no effort to keep his team in the contest.
While Weber won’t shake defenders out of their cleats on the move, he can take them for a ride for extra yardage. He also possesses some of the surest hands at the position, catching nearly every pass in his vicinity.
1) Boden Groen, Rice Owls
Rice is coming off its first 6+ win season since 2014, and TE Boden Groen is a large reason why. Splitting his time between inline and the slot, he ranked second among AAC TEs with 39 catches, third with 383 yards, and fifth with three TDs.
KEEP READING: 2024 All-AAC College Football Preseason Team and Individual Honors
Following two years at Saddleback College, a JUCO in California, and a 9-79-0 campaign in his first year with the Owls, Groen’s expectations were low entering the 2023 season. Now, they are that of the No. 1 player on the 2024 AAC TE Rankings.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top 10 returning players, the 2024 college football season schedule, and much more!