Possibly Auburn football’s most overlooked position group in 2025, the tight end room will look different than it did last season.

Rivaldo Fairweather and Luke Deal, the two mainstays, are both gone and the Tigers added three newcomers. They also had an offensive lineman move over to the position, making Brandon Frazier the room’s only real returner.

That lack of continuity and top end talent creates questions, but Auburn still has a handful of options at the position for different personnel sets.

Here’s a look at the Tigers’ tight end room going into fall camp.

Players

*Brandon Frazier — Senior

Tate Johnson — Senior

Preston Howard — Junior, Maryland transfer

Hollis Davidson III — Freshman

Ryan Ghea — Freshman

*Indicates projected starter

What to know

There’s no high-end talent or elite level athlete in the room this season, but the Tigers have a mix of pass catchers and blockers. Frazier, a sixth-year senior, is the leader of the room and can do a little bit of both.

He has just 12 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns in his career, but at 6-foot-7, 267 pounds, he has the size to be effective. Frazier caught one pass for 16 yards last season but only played in three games due to a foot injury.

“I’d love to show it off,” Frazier said of his pass catching ability during spring practice. “Last year, Valdo is a very athletic guy and he’s probably a little bit faster than me. But try to show off what I’ve got any way I can, whether it’s blocking or catching the ball.”

The other experienced piece is Johnson, who moved over from the offensive line last season. Slimmed down to 271 pounds, he fits the build more of a tight end this year, but will still be used primarily as a blocker.

It’s similar to the role Deal played in 2024, though Auburn’s offense in 2025 may include less 12 personnel given the number of wide receivers at Hugh Freeze’s disposal.

Howard is he most traditional pass catching tight end in the room, transferring to Auburn from Maryland following the 2024 season. Ironically, his one career touchdown came during Maryland’s Music City Bowl win over Auburn in 2023.

Howard caught 24 passes for 189 yards last season and is much slimmer than Frazier and Johnson at 6-foot-5, 236 pounds. However, Howard posted a 60.6 run blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus, in 2024, higher than both Fairweather and Deal.

Davidson and Ghea, the two freshmen, represent each of the archetypes already demonstrated above. Davidson is a more traditional pass catcher, measuring 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds.

A four-star recruit out of Peachtree City, Georgia, Davidson missed spring practice due to injury. He caught 31 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns during his senior season of high school, according to MaxPreps.

At 6-foot-5, 261 pounds Ghea projects more as a blocker, but is a capable pass catcher too. He caught 53 passes for 651 yards and four touchdowns during his senior year of high school and was rated a three-star recruit.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m