By KACE KIEISCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
For Lane Kiffin’s offense to succeed in year one of the new LSU head coach, he’ll need consistent contribution from his tight end room.
Lucky for him, that may just be the best position group on the Tigers’ roster.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation seems to agree, naming junior tight end Trey’Dez Green a preseason first-team All-American, the only Tiger to receive the honor. Green, whom Kiffin inherited from previous coach Brian Kelly, is also one of the top rated Tigers in the EA Sports College Football 2027 video game for the 2026-27 season that came out on Thursday.
Green will draw most of the headlines, and rightfully so, but behind the 6-foot-7 athletic freak, Kiffin and his offensive staff have quietly built a versatile supporting cast. Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. have proven themselves at getting the most out of the tight end position previously at Ole Miss.
Four different tight ends caught passes for their Rebels’ offense last season, led by Dea’Quan Wright with 39 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns. Wright tallied four catches for 66 yards against the Tigers last season, including a critical 20-yard catch on fourth down to seal Ole Miss’ 24-19 victory.
Weis and Kiffin will ask a lot of their tight ends. They are agile extra linemen in the run-pass option attack, decoys in timely play action and crucial targets in the middle of the field and red zone.
Trey’Dez Green
Green (6-7, 237 pounds) has been a problem for defenses since he stepped on campus in 2024 as a freshman out of Zachary High School near Baton Rouge. The junior’s 11 touchdown receptions in two seasons are already a program record for an LSU tight end, and he also holds the single season record with seven in 11 games last year.
Green was third on the team with 33 receptions for 433 yards last season. Only eight of those catches did not result in six points or a first down.
He was a four-star high school prospect and On3.com’s No. 1 recruit in Louisiana and No. 35 recruit overall. Green had 53 receptions for 960 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior season at Zachary and put up 97 yards and a score on eight catches in the Louisiana Division I Non-Select state title game.
Green was a two-sport athlete with numerous Division I offers in football and basketball. He appeared in six games for the LSU men’s basketball team as a freshman in 2024-25, but has since refrained from any post-ups outside of the end zone. He played in all 13 games as a freshman tight end, but was limited to usage almost exclusively in the red zone. He was elite in that role, however, taking four of his 13 catches for touchdowns. He totaled 101 yards.
Last season, his role in the offense expanded considerably. His goal line dominance continued, but he displayed his versatility and athleticism by lining up frequently as an outside and slot receiver. A total of 176 yards came after catches. Green was a second-team All-SEC selection, and even still, it felt like his true potential remained untapped.
“His skill set is ultra-elite, but so is his mindset and that’s really unique to have because they usually don’t coincide.” Kiffin said of Green during spring practice. “He doesn’t have another speed. He doesn’t have another thought besides, ‘This is how you do things.’”
If there’s one area where Green’s game leaves something to be desired it’s as a blocker. That is where the rest of the cast can shine.
Malachi Thomas
Pittsburgh transfer Malachi Thomas (6-3, 242) is a seasoned pass catcher who struggled to break through in two seasons with the Panthers, but showed potential. He has appeared in all 26 games in his college career, but hauled in just 13 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns last year. He recorded just two receptions for 22 yards and a score as a freshman in 2024.
Thomas challenged projected starter Jake Overman for starting reps in the summer leading up to the 2025 season. But he did not win that battle, and it was senior Marshall transfer Justin Holmes who took over the primary role when Overman was sidelined after a week one injury.
When asked what Thomas needed to do to see more action, Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi responded, “He needs to practice more.”
The Thomasville, Georgia, native was a three-star prep tight end and was a late addition to Pittsburgh’s 2024 class. Pitt was his only Division I offer after after catching 30 passes for 542 yards for a 15-0 Thomas County Central team. 247Sports.com ranked Thomas as the No. 74 tight end in the country and No. 148 prospect in Georgia.
“We think we found a diamond in the rough in Malachi,” Narduzzi said at his 2024 newcomers press conference. “Everybody down there loves him, from the cafeteria ladies on. We really did a deep dive on him as a person, and every lady in that building was like, ‘My favorite guy.’ They won a ton of games down there and a state 6A championship as well, but just an unbelievable kid.”
Thomas was listed as the No. 33 tight end in the portal by 247Sports and the No. 473 overall prospect. He was expected to start for the Panthers in 2026, but he committed to Kiffin’s portal class in January after a visit to Baton Rouge.
“I like how they get the ball in space with the tight ends,” he told Tiger Rag. “I feel like I make my magic there – break two or three tackles, and I’m gone. So, I was like, ‘Okay, cool. That’s where I thrive.’ I can win one-on-one, contested catches, too, so I’m like, ‘I’m going to love this.’”
Thomas has a sturdy frame with good speed for his size. He will be a good supplement to Green with similar playmaking ability in the open field. Expect to see him regularly in multi-tight end sets and as a reliever for Green.
Zach Grace
Zach Grace (6-2, 236) is the blocking specialist of the group. The redshirt junior split 101 snaps in the last two seasons at Oregon almost evenly between fullback and tight end. He has yet to record any receiving stats.
Grace was a three-star out of Kearney High School in Kearney, Missouri, when he committed to the Ducks’ 2023 class. He was named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 4 All-State first-team as a senior after totaling 22 touchdowns.
In the transfer portal, Grace was again listed as a three-star. He’ll play an essential role as a mobile run blocker and in pass protection in jumbo sets. Kiffin and Weis could draw out some unseen usage in the pass game, but Grace projects more as an extra man willing to do the dirty work.
JD LaFleur
Redshirt freshman JD LaFleur (6-6, 254) of Sulphur High in Sulphur is every bit the massive pass catcher Green is. As the son of former LSU tight end great David LaFleur, he has the pedigree to develop into something special.
His father was a two-time All-SEC selection and a 1996 Walter Camp first team All-American. He played 33 games in four years at LSU (1993-1996) and totaled 71 receptions for 881 yards and five touchdowns. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 22 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.
JD LaFleur was a top tight end in the class of 2025, despite being considered just a three-star prospect. He was ranked as high as No. 8 at his position by ESPN and No. 12 overall in Louisiana by Rivals.
He did not see the field last year and is not expected to become a regular in this year’s offense either, but he has a potentially strong future and could be an above-average understudy if called upon.
JC Anderson
Anderson (6-6, 256) is a behemoth four-star true freshman from Mt. Zion High School in Illinois. He became the first commitment to Kiffin’s 2026 LSU class when he flipped from Ole Miss to follow the staff that recruited him. He was listed as the No. 11 tight end and No. 8 prospect in Illinois in composite rankings and was ranked as high as No. 3 at his position in ESPN’s evaluation.
Anderson hauled in 46 passes for 578 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior and made 47 receptions for 535 yards with seven touchdowns his junior season. His career high school totals of 1,568 yards and 138 catches are a program record.
The tight end group looks extremely strong on paper. There is a noticeable drop-off in proven production behind Green, but if he can stay healthy, nobody will be concerned about his backup anyway.
Thomas and Grace will be necessary changes of pace and protection support, but Green has the frame, contested-catch ability, and explosiveness out in space to be a top receiver in this offense and the best tight end in college football.
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