Position Preview: New-look TE room gives Florida options

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Florida's tight end room looks completely different heading into the 2026 season.

Amir Jackson and Micah Jones are the only returning players at the position, while the Gators added six newcomers through the transfer portal, recruiting class and walk-on ranks. That gives offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and tight ends coach Evan McKissack a much deeper group to work with in an offense that should feature plenty of 12 personnel.

Jackson and Luke Harpring (Georgia Tech) provide two spread options who can stretch the field, while Lacota Dippre (James Madison) offers a more physical, all-around option. Evan Chieca is another hybrid option, but he remains unproven at the FBS level.

Freshman Heze Kent might be the most interesting player in the position room due to his massive frame and weight-loss journey. Jon Sumrall challenged him to get into shape if Kent wanted to stay at tight end, and things are going well so far.

Here's a closer look at Florida's tight ends room heading into the 2026 season.

Check out Gators Wire's other position previews:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers

Note: With the new age-based eligibility system in place, player classifications will no longer include redshirt status. For example, a redshirt sophomore (R-So.) listed on the official roster will be considered a junior (Jr.) — freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, 5th year.

Receiving/Spread Tight Ends: No. 7 Amir Jackson (Jr.), No. 15 Luke Harpring (Jr.) and No. 85 Evan Chieca (Sr.)

Amir Jackson

Receiving Stats:

Jackson is a former top-10 TE prospect who arrived as a converted receiver, but Florida has used him in a blocking role in more than half of his 142 career snaps. That came in Billy Napier's 12-personnel-heavy offense, though. The new staff, especially offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, views him as more of a receiving threat. In fact, Jon Sumrall and Co. fought to keep him from transferring out of the program.

Despite having just three career receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown, Jackson is poised to be the top target in the position room. He had three catches for 44 yards in the Orange and Blue Game and has been labeled a spread tight end who can stretch the field and catch the ball underneath.

“Amir is really taking off, especially from a mental standpoint,” McKissack said. “I mean that joker’s in here practicing formations, aligning, assignment, execution, and I think that's been a really big focal point for his growth. That way he can play fast, because he is fast. I mean, heck, he clocked about 20 miles an hour a couple of weeks ago.”

Luke Harpring

* = at Georgia Tech

Receiving Stats:

Harpring followed Faulkner from Georgia Tech to Florida, giving him more than 250 actual game reps in the new system. He led Georgia Tech's tight end room with 158 yards and 13 receptions in 2025. McKissack has pointed to run-blocking as a needed area of improvement, but his receiving ability makes him a natural fit for Faulkner's spread tight end role.

Jackson might have the higher upside, but Sumrall described Harpring as "currently just the best all-around" in the spring. If a starter has to be named, his playbook knowledge and experience could give him the nod over Jackson.

“Both those guys are extremely versatile,” Faulkner said. “They add a different element to the room. Being able to stretch the field vertically. You also saw them catching balls in the flats today. They can do that. They both can run. They're more of your spread guys.”

Evan Chieca

* = at New Haven

Receiving Stats:

Chieca is an interesting case and perhaps the best hybrid-style tight end on Florida's roster. He had the most receiving production of any player in Florida's room last season, but he was playing at FCS New Haven.

How Chieca handles the jump to SEC play remains a big question mark, but Sumrall and his staff like his physicality, versatility and ability to play in-line. However, his 53.3 PFF run-blocking grade last year raises some concern.

Sumrall mentioned earlier in fall camp that Chieca was dealing with a minor injury, describing his absence from contact activities as "precautionary." At the time, he said he didn't expect Chieca to miss any game action.

In-Line/Blocking Tight Ends: No. 17 Lacota Dippre (Sr.) and No. 84 Micah Jones (So.)

Lacota Dippre

* = at Charlotte** = at James Madison

Receiving Stats:

Dippre is a converted defensive lineman who immediately became a starter for a College Football Playoff team after transferring to James Madison. He's 6 feet 3 inches, 248 pounds, and had a 71.3 run-blocking grade last season, making him the best blocking option in the position room. He's a strong physical complement to Jackson or Harpring in 12 personnel.

There's still the question of how well he transitions to SEC play, but the profile is very good.

Dippre is a converted defensive lineman who immediately became a starter for a College Football Playoff team after transferring to James Madison. He's 6-feet-3-inches, 248 pounds, and had a 71.3 run-blocking grade last season, making him the best blocking option in the position room. He's a strong physical complement to Jackson or Harpring in 12 personnel.

There's still the question of how well he transitions to SEC play, but the profile is very good.

“Pretty tough freakin’ hard worker, you know, is a Swiss Army knife in a lot of ways, is getting better at some things, understands his limitations, as far as sometimes length and things of that nature," McKissack said. "So he’s got to get his body right, get faster, especially as we move on in the summertime, but man I’m really fired up. The guy definitely plays with a tough edge to him, but there’s some other things that we’ve got to do to execute at a higher level at this league.

”Pretty tough freakin’ hard worker, you know, is a Swiss Army knife in a lot of ways, is getting better at some things, understands his limitations, as far as sometimes length and things of that nature," McKissack said. "So he’s got to get his body right, get faster, especially as we move on in the summertime, but man I’m really fired up. The guy definitely plays with a tough edge to him, but there’s some other things that we’ve got to do to execute at a higher level at this league.”

Micah Jones

A three-star member of Florida's 2025 class, Jones played one snap at tight end against Mississippi State last season. He was a blocking-first tight end coming out of high school who is still developing his chops on the receiving end.

Jones' stats from his senior year of high school provide some optimism. He had 45 catches for 550 yards and a touchdown, but much of that is a product of being massively oversized for the competition level. Florida lists him at 6-feet-4-inches, 254 pounds.

“I think Micah’s got some really good traits," McKissack said. "They show up sometimes, but then tired sets in.”

The Wild Card: No. 86 Heze Kent (Fr.)

Kent might have the best story of anyone in the position room. He's a tackle-sized athlete who had to prove he could get light enough to stay at tight end. Florida lists him at 6-feet-6-inches and 288 pounds, down from 305 pounds on signing day. Sumrall outright challenged him to lose the weight, and Kent was determined to stay at tight end instead of moving to offensive line.

One of the reasons Sumrall was willing to offer the ultimatum is Kent's pass-catching ability. He had more than 2,000 receiving yards on 95 catches in high school, and "may have the best ball skills on the team," according to Sumrall.

“We have challenged him, and he's responded," Sumrall said. "I gave him an ultimatum of some sort of… two or three different goals, weights by different timelines, or he could play either offensive line, or who knows — he could make the decision. He's decided he didn't want to play offensive line or nose tackle.”

Kent's size naturally gives him obvious potential as a blocking tight end, too. With a year or two of development, he could become a major part of Florida's offense as an all-around tight end. Getting snaps as a freshman is on the table, too.

Walk-Ons/Projects: No. 89 Tripp Brown Jr. (Fr.) and No. 80 Jaylen Jordon (Sr.)

Tripp Brown Jr.

Brown is a preferred walk-on out of Plant High in Tampa. He's a big body at 6-feet-5-inches and 240 pounds, with plenty of versatility. Rivals rated him as a three-star recruit, and he was a FACA All-State First Team selection. He hauled in 57 catches for 699 yards and six touchdowns, threw for 1,341 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns over his high school career. Brown also spent time at defensive end at Plant.

The path to playing time is blocked by the names above, but he's a nice developmental addition to the position room who could eventually work his way into a scholarship role.

Jaylen Jordon

Jordon is another walk-on, but he has an interesting story. After participating in UF's 2026 Pro Day as a tight end, the former college basketball player transitioned to football. He started 27 games for Flagler in 2024-25, averaging 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Then, he moved to Jacksonville and gave the Dolphins 3.5 points per game.

Transitioning from basketball to tight end isn't unheard of. NFL Hall of Famers Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez both played basketball in college, and Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas are other recent examples. Jordon's a senior, though, so his clock is ticking. He could end up playing two years at Florida, but he's a developmental piece for now.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Position Preview: New-look TE room gives Florida options

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos