John Mackey Award Watch List (2026)

The following post features the John Mackey Award Watch List (2026).

Some college football teams have an NFL-level TE capable of separating from the defense and making big plays. These are the TEs you need to know about when betting on college football.

Read: Lou Groza Award Watch List

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The John Mackey Award Watch List features the top tight ends in college football heading into the 2026 NCAAF season.

So, who are the best TEs in 2026? Here’s what you need to know.

John Mackey Award Watch List (2026)

Below is a table displaying the placekickers on the 2026 John Mackey Award Watch List. Click here for the official John Mackey Award Watch List.

Preseason Player Spotlights

Terrance Carter Jr. – Texas Tech Red Raiders

Terrance Carter Jr. enters 2026 as one of the most productive returning tight ends in the country after a breakout season that saw him haul in 55 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns. The former Louisiana transfer quickly became a focal point of the Red Raiders’ offense, earning All-Big 12 recognition and ranking among the national leaders in receiving yards by a tight end. With proven chemistry in a high-powered attack and the physical tools to dominate both as a receiver and blocker, Carter is a legitimate frontrunner for the Mackey Award.

DJ Vonnahme – Iowa Hawkeyes

DJ Vonnahme exploded onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2025, leading Iowa in both receptions (29) and receiving yards (434) while adding three touchdowns, including a massive 7-catch, 146-yard, one-touchdown performance in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The former walk-on earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors and posted one of the highest PFF grades among freshman tight ends nationally. With another year of development in Iowa’s “Tight End U” system and increased opportunity, Vonnahme has the size, athleticism, and production trajectory to contend for national honors.

Dylan Wade – UCF Knights

Dylan Wade delivered the best individual season by a tight end in UCF program history in 2025, finishing with 43 receptions for 523 yards and five touchdowns while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention. The Maryland transfer proved to be a reliable and explosive target, highlighted by a 145-yard, two-touchdown outing against Oklahoma State. Entering his senior year as a focal point of Scott Frost’s offense, Wade’s combination of production, reliability, and big-play ability makes him a strong Mackey Award candidate.

Ethan Davis – Tennessee Volunteers

Ethan Davis is poised for a larger role in 2026 after posting career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns the previous season despite missing time due to injury. The senior tight end earned Preseason All-SEC recognition and has shown the ability to be a mismatch weapon in Josh Heupel’s up-tempo offense. With improved health and a clear path to more targets, Davis has the skill set and supporting cast to elevate his game into the national conversation for the John Mackey Award.

Luke Hasz – Ole Miss Rebels

Luke Hasz continues to develop into one of the more complete tight ends in the SEC, blending reliable hands with the blocking ability that Lane Kiffin’s offense demands. The returning starter has shown steady growth as both a receiver and in-line presence, and he enters 2026 with increased expectations as a key piece of the Rebels’ attack. With another year of experience and a high-powered supporting cast around him, Hasz is well-positioned to make a leap into the upper tier of Mackey Award contenders.

Lawson Luckie – Georgia Bulldogs

Lawson Luckie is part of Georgia’s always-loaded tight end group and enters 2026 with the chance to step into a more prominent role after contributing as a reliable option the year before. The junior has the size, athleticism, and pedigree that the Bulldogs traditionally develop into high-level producers. Playing in an offense that consistently creates opportunities for tight ends, Luckie has the tools and scheme fit to emerge as a national name and challenge for John Mackey Award recognition this fall.

John Mackey Award

The John Mackey Award is presented annually to the top tight end in NCAA Division I FBS football. The process begins with a preseason watch list of leading candidates. A selection committee of media members, analysts, and former winners monitors performances throughout the season and nominates players, advancing the eight most frequently nominated tight ends to semifinalist status (typically in early-to-mid November). Committee members then submit ranked ballots using a 5-3-1 point system to narrow the field to three finalists. That same panel conducts a final ranked vote among the finalists to select the winner, who is announced during the College Football Awards show in December.

John Mackey Award Winner (by Year)

Click here for the John Mackey Award Winner by year.