John Mackey Award Watch List: Odds For Best Tight End of 2025-26 College Football Season

As the 2024 college football season at Michigan sportsbooks gets closer to its conclusion, it’s worth wondering which standout at one of the most overlooked offensive positions is best suited to grab a marquee award.

The honor in question is the yearly John Mackey Award, given out to the best tight end in the country. Georgia’s Brock Bowers took home the honor in 2022 and 2023 after hauling in 118 passes for 1,656 yards and 13 touchdowns before jet-setting his way to the NFL.

We are one step closer to learning who will be the 2024 John Mackey Awards winner, because the eight semifinalists have been announced. The award is named after the great tight end for Syracuse, who went on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Colts and Chargers.

All season, we have been breaking down odds on which tight end has the best shot at taking home the Mackey Award. These odds are exclusive to BetMichigan.com, the home of the best Michigan sports betting promos.

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2025-26 John Mackey Award (Best TE) Winner Odds

Tight End	College	Odds	Percentage Chance
Terrance Carter Jr.	Texas Tech	+900	10%
Michael Trigg	Baylor	+1000	9.1%
Eli Stowers	Vanderbilt	+1000	9.1%
Dae'Quan Wright	Ole Miss	+1250	7.4%
Jeremiah Franklin	Boston College	+1250	7.4%
Dan Villari	Syracuse	+1250	7.4%
Jaren Kanak	Oklahoma	+1400	6.7%
Dallen Bentley	Utah	+1750	5.41%

These are the only eight candidates for the 2025 John Mackey Award, having been named semifinalists on Nov. 5.

This season, Terrance Carter Jr. is leading while battling Michael Trigg and Eli Stowers. Others who could contend include Dae'Quan Wright, Jeremiah Franklin, and Dan Villari.

Who Are The Mackey Award Leaders in 2025?

The leader in the Mackey Award clubhouse is a senior from Mechanicsville, Virginia, who has set the all-time record for most receptions by a tight end in FBS history.

Terrance Carter Jr. currently has +900 odds to win the national title with DraftKings Michigan Sportsbook.

His productivity has him atop our Mackey Award odds board with +900 odds – that would translate to a 10% implied probability at Michigan sports betting apps. He ranks ahead of Trigg (+1000) and Stowers (+1000), who are both right behind him.

Check out our Michigan State Spartans football betting guide for more Big Ten insight geared toward readers in the Great Lakes State.

USA Today Network photo by Junfu Han

Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetMichigan.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.