20 best high school tight ends in the nation entering the 2024 football season

Expect these 20 TEs to make headlines throughout the 2024 high school football season

West Linn (Oregon) High School tight end Baron Naone is committed to play for the Washington Huskies. / Leon Neuschwander, SBLive

High school football kicks off in several states this week, and SBLive/SI has been featuring players expected to be the best of the best in the nation this season.

We started with the best defensive backs in the nation, then the best quarterbacks, followed by wide receivers, and now it's the top tight ends' turn.

Here are the 20 best high school tight ends in the country heading into the 2024 season.

Austin Alexander, sr., Cooper (Kentucky)

Cooper tight end Austin Alexander runs with the ball for a touchdown against Highlands on Nov. 24, 2023. / Katie Stratman for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Alexander’s play on both sides of the ball helped carry Cooper to last year’s Class 5A state title game. The North Carolina commit had 67 catches for 1,138 yards and 19 touchdowns from the tight end position while recording 19 sacks on defense. 

Ethan Barbour, sr., Milton (Georgia) 

Tight end Ethan Barbour, left, watches Ohio State warm up prior to the Buckeyes' game against Indiana in 2023. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Barbour hauled in 12 touchdown receptions each of the last two seasons for Alpharetta, notching 49 catches for 966 yards as a junior. Now at reigning Class 7A champion Milton, the Georgia commit is looking to end his prep career with a state title. 

Da’Saahn Brame, sr., Derby (Kansas) 

At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Brame is a strong route-runner with excellent hands. The Tennessee commit piled up 46 receptions for 942 yards and 13 touchdowns a season ago. 

Linkon Cure, sr., Goodland (Kansas)

A five-star prospect, Cure committed to Kansas State over the summer. He notched 42 catches for 946 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Cure is also a star hurdler who owns two Class 3A gold medals in the 300 meter hurdles and one in the 110 hurdles. 

Kaleb Edwards, sr., Oak Ridge (California) 

Edwards starred on both sides of the ball as a junior, catching 44 passes for 828 yards and seven touchdowns while recording 13 tackles for loss (6.5 sacks) on defense. The 6-foot-6 game-wrecker is committed to Alabama. 

Noah Flores, sr., Graham-Kapowsin (Washington)

Tight end Noah Flores, of Graham-Kapowsin, is a UCLA football commit. / Photo by Todd Milles

Flores is a do-everything tight end with great hands and a willingness to block. The UCLA commit had 44 catches for 413 yards and five touchdowns as a junior for state power Graham-Kapowsin. 

Brayden Fogle, jr., Lexington (Ohio)

Lexington High School's Brayden Fogle (2) is a Division I prospect in football and basketball. / TOM E. PUSKAR/MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL / USA TODAY NETWORK

A Division I prospect in football and basketball, Fogle is a standout pass-catcher and defensive end for Lexington. He had 39 receptions for 663 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore. 

Brock Harris, jr., Pine View (Utah)

Harris tore it up as a sophomore for Pine View, catching 55 passes for 665 yards and eight touchdowns. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound phenom is a five-star prospect for the class of 2026. 

Kendre Harrison, jr., Providence Day (North Carolina)

Harrison has drawn comparisons to former NFL All-Pro Julius Peppers, who also starred in football and basketball in high school and for North Carolina. As a sophomore at Reidsville, Harrison had 62 receptions for 940 yards and 16 touchdowns, nine sacks on defense and averaged 19 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in basketball. The five-star football prospect is now at Providence Day. 

Matt Henderson, sr., Powhatan (Virginia) 

Henderson is a prolific receiving tight end who hauled in 74 passes for 1,113 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall. The Penn State football commit is also a star basketball player who topped the 1,000 career points mark during his junior season. 

John David LaFleur, sr., Sulphur (Lousiana)

The son of former Dallas Cowboys and LSU tight end David LaFleur, JD LaFleur is a strong blocker who also caught 44 passes for 566 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He is committed to LSU. 

Thomas Meyer, sr., Clear Lake (Iowa) 

Clear Lake's Thomas Meyer (88) tries to make a catch in triple coverage during the 2023 season. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Meyer is a two-way standout who made the Class 3A all-state team on the defensive line last season. The Iowa commit caught a team-leading 25 passes for 407 and eight touchdowns as a junior. 

Baron Naone, sr., West Linn (Oregon) 

Naone did most of his damage on defense last year for a stacked West Linn team, but the Washington commit will have a bigger role offensively this fall. He is a possession receiver with good hands. 

Andrew Olesh, sr., Southern Lehigh (Pennsylvania) 

Olesh had 53 catches for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound pass-catcher committed to Michigan in July.

Kaiden Prothro, jr., Bowdon (Georgia)

The 6-foot-6 Prothro is another modern hybrid who can line up at tight end or wide receiver. The five-star prospect was dominant in the passing game as a sophomore, grabbing 33 balls for 831 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Nate Roberts, sr., Washington (Oklahoma) 

Washington tight end Nate Roberts is committed to play college football at Ohio State. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Roberts, an Ohio State commit, has helped lead Washington to back-to-back state titles in football and baseball. He caught 38 passes for 816 yards and eight touchdowns during his junior football season. 

Brock Schott, sr., Leo (Indiana) 

Schott gets it done on both sides of the ball for Leo. The Miami commit had 35 receptions for 743 yards and six touchdowns last fall while recording 67 tackles (32 for loss) and 19 sacks as an edge rusher. 

Caleb Tafua, jr., Lakewood (California)

Tafua was a breakout performer as a sophomore, catching 36 passes for 540 yards and eight touchdowns. He already holds more the two dozen offers, including Georgia, Michigan and Texas. 

Jack Van Dorselaer, sr., Southlake Carroll (Texas) 

A Tennessee commit, Van Dorselaer is an elite blocking tight end who also makes an impact as a receiver. Six of his 15 catches went for touchdowns a season ago. 

Elyiss Williams, sr., Camden County (Georgia) 

Williams is a rim-runner on the basketball court who shines on both sides of the ball while playing football. The Georgia commit helped Camden County reach the Class 7A semifinals last season by recording 530 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. 

-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports