Rivals Five-Star: Which Tight End Will Dominate the Next College Football Season?

Indiana’s capital city turned into the epicenter of elite football talent this week as the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event unfolded inside the Indianapolis Colts’ state-of-the-art facility. The spotlight shone brightest on the standout tight ends, each showcasing a unique blend of skill, strength, and promise that had everyone watching with baited breath. From rising stars dealing with challenges on the spot to prospects hinting at future dominance, the gathering was nothing short of electric. What’s compelling here isn’t just their present capability—it’s the tantalizing potential simmering beneath the surface, whispering of college game-changers and pro prospects in the making. Let’s dive into what made these tight ends the talk of the town—and why their journeys are worth a close look. LEARN MORE

He is, however, on the smaller side when it comes to the trends that have emerged in the NFL Draft for tight ends so keeping an eye on his physical growth will be a focus going forward.Holden Niemi was a late addition to the Rivals Five-Star roster and took advantage of the opportunity to make a strong impression. The 2027 prospect out of Illinois is fairly well-developed from a physical perspective and showed strong athletic traits throughout the workout on Tuesday. Adjusting to the variety of quarterbacks seemed to be a bit challenging for him at times, which resulted in passes falling incomplete. Niemi is only heading into his junior season so there is plenty of time for him to make adjustments to his game before he reaches the next level.

Prothro was visibly disappointed but his physical development, which was the biggest question mark surrounding his ranking, was obvious. He weighed in at 216 pounds and, despite the pulled hamstring, even participated in the bench press competition where he recorded nine reps of 225 pounds. That being said, the style Keyes plays with would complement Prothro’s skillset beautifully, if both do end up signing with Georgia. The two highly ranked tight ends were frequently seen chatting and playing catch during the down time on Tuesday. That relationship appears to be fairly strong and could pay dividends for the Dawgs down the road.

Prothro was one of players the national analyst staff was most excited to see perform at Rivals Five-Star on Tuesday. The elite tight end prospect was warming up and went through the majority of position drills when he pulled his hamstring and was unable to work out the rest of the day. Tennessee tight end commit Carson Sneed posted impressive measurements during registration on Monday and he had plenty of bright spots on the field Tuesday. At 6-foot-6, 246 pounds, Sneed is fairly lean but plays with a great deal of strength, which showed when linebackers and defensive backs bounced off of him as they tried to disrupt his routes. The caliber of defender Georgia commit Lincoln Keyes faced at Five-Star was new to him and it was good for the national analyst team to evaluate him under these conditions. The Michigan native is a very impressive prospect with great hands and the ability to make tough catches over the middle and down the field. He’ll be a very reliable target for Georgia quarterbacks when he gets on the field in Athens but that could take some time. Keyes has a well-rounded game but he could find it difficult to consistently create separation from defenders when he reaches the next level.

Georgia is trending in Prothro’s recruitment but Auburn and a handful of other teams are in pursuit.He isn’t the most natural receiver but there is plenty of potential to get excited about, which is surely part of the reason why Florida, North Carolina and others are trying to pry him away from the Volunteers. The Gators appear to be making some headway but it’s hard to count out North Carolina at this point in the recruiting process.