UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 17

A very underappreciated position in college football is the tight end.

Tight ends are essentially the Swiss Army Knife in football, as they are looked to block in both the pass and running games, run routes, and give the quarterback a big target.

When a team has a good tight end, it adds another level to its offense, as it can use a 12-man set to add another blocker for the running game. A tight end can also be used effectively in the red zone. Lining up on the outside with the wide receivers to give the QB a big target in the end zone in a 1v1 situation.

Continuing with our list, we are going to look at the tight end position, as redshirt junior Brayden Loftin hasn't had the stats but will finally play as a starter after three years.

Brayden Loftin Coming out of High School

Coming out of Lewis Central in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Loftin was not the highest-ranked player in the 2022 high school class. Ranked as the 1168th best player in the class, Loftin was also the 68th-ranked tight end in the class and the 10th-ranked player in the state of Iowa.

When playing for the Titans, Loftin had a decent career in his four years. While he wasn't outstanding, he made his mark in doing the little things on the field, especially in blocking.

Loftin was mostly the backup tight end in high school and during his senior year, and did not disappoint. In his senior season, he had a career high of 611 yards receiving with seven touchdowns on 40 receptions.

Lewis Central was one of the best teams in District Six in Iowa, finishing the 2021-2022 season with a 12-2 overall record and a 5-0 conference record.

The Titans would be so dominant throughout the regular season, march to the championship game, and come out with the win in a thrilling three-overtime matchup against Xavier, 32-24. In the championship game, Loftin would make an impact with a touchdown catch.

In his senior season, Loftin earned all-state honors from the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association as well as all-district honors during his senior season. He also finished his career ranking in the top 10 in school history for career receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Recruiting-wise, Loftin would have scholarship offers from Division I schools; only Iowa State would be the lone Power Five school. Programs at the FCS level that were interested in him included Miami (Ohio), Coastal Carolina, Charlotte, Northern Iowa, and Bowling Green, to name a few.

There was one school in Kansas State that would send him an offer to play on an up-and-coming program with the Wildcats. A week after they offered, Loftin announced his commitment to play for Kansas State in the 2023 season.

Loftin at Kansas State

Loftin would be one of the lower-ranked incoming freshmen in the Wildcats 2022 high school recruiting class. That meant that it was going to be difficult for Loftin to see meaningful playing time, especially when the Wildcats had one of the top tight ends in the Big 12 in Ben Sinnott.

Sinnott had 447 yards and four touchdowns with 31 receptions. With Sinnott dominating the Big 12, Loftin would decide to redshirt his freshman season. He would see much more time on the field in his second year with the program.

Appearing in nine games, Loftin would make his first appearance in the Wildcats' week one game against Southeast Missouri State and would only play in 14 snaps that season, mostly used as a blocker along the offensive line.

Ben Sinnott would move on to the NFL and would be a late second-round selection by the Washington Commanders. With Sinnott in the NFL, Loftin had a chance to become the number-one tight end for the Wildcats in the 2024 season.

In his redshirt sophomore season, he began to see the field not just as a blocker but also as a receiver. Loftin would be the number one tight end on the depth chart, but would appear in 10 games and would get the starting nod against BYU.

In his first season of action, Loftin would finish the season with 11 receptions for 125 yards with two touchdowns. Lofftin's first career reception was an incredible 23-yard touchdown in the season opener against UT Martin, the first of the season for Kansas State.

Loftin would have a career-high 45 receiving yards against Arizona, while also having a career-best three catches against both Arizona and Arizona State. Loftin was a major contributor to the Kansas State tight end room, which set a national-best 13 touchdowns.

In his redshirt junior year, he would take a step back in production, playing in all 12 games for the Wildcats but recording just six receptions for 55 yards. With such a step back in production and not taking over as the starting tight end, Loftin decided to enter the transfer portal and would come to Westwood and play in a Bob Chesney system.

What Brayden Loftin brings to UCLA

Listed at 6-4 and 230 pounds, Loftin is a big-bodied tight end who can be a red zone threat but excels in the running game as a blocker.

Bob Chesney has brought in Wayne Knight from James Madison, who was the best running back in all the FCS with 207 carries for 1,373 yards, which was seventh in college football, and nine touchdowns.

Loftin is the perfect run-blocking tight end in a Bob Chesney-style offense, which leans heavily on the running game and the play action. Loftin is a great run blocker, strong enough to handle a high-level edge rusher and fast enough to get to the outside and be a lead blocker for Knight.

Loftin's receiving numbers are nothing to write home about, as in four years with Kansas State, he had just 17 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Bruins' tight end room is not the deepest, and he is the most experienced and will be a key player next season.

Today's best reads

• Ranking Which JMU Transfers Could Become UCLA Fan Favorites
• UCLA Football Top 10 Players Ratings Revealed
• UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 22
• 3 Overlooked Bruins Who Will Start for UCLA Football
• Why Wayne Knight Crucial to UCLA's Offensive Success

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 17.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM.