Evan Jacobson

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-5, 241 lbs. Taller than 53% and heavier than 86% of 2026 Tight End prospects in the SEC Scouts database (116 with a listed size).

Play Style

He is a detached, receiving-first tight end with enough toughness to line up in-line. On film he wins with length and body positioning rather than twitchy separation. He stretches the seam, sits down in voids against zone, and uses post-up, box-out technique on contested throws, much like a basketball rebounder. As a blocker he is willing and competitive. His effectiveness comes from effort and length more than from knocking defenders back, so he fits best in space as a wall-off or crack blocker. At Waukee he also played on the defensive line, which shows in his physicality and his feel for leverage.

Strengths

• Catch radius and contested catches: his long frame and basketball rebounding instincts let him win above the rim on high throws, seam balls and red-zone fades. Evaluators specifically cited his 'ability to make tough catches.'
• Fluid athleticism for his size: he moves easily for a 6-5/6-7 player, which lets A&M split him wide and create mismatches against linebackers and safeties instead of keeping him in-line only.
• Physical as a blocker: scouts noted 'a physical side to his game as a blocker,' and his defensive end experience gives him more comfort in contact than most basketball-first tight ends have.
• Red-zone and scoring value: he had 8 touchdowns on 48 career catches at Waukee, about one every six receptions. That suggests his size already turned into scoring production at the high school level.
• Recruited nationally: he held 24+ offers, including Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Miami, Auburn, Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Programs across schemes clearly saw him as a Power Four tight end.

Areas to Improve

• Play strength and anchor as an in-line blocker: he is still growing into a 240-plus frame. Against SEC edge defenders he needs lower-body power, a consistent pad level and better hand placement before he can be trusted as a Y on early downs.
• Route detail and polish: 636 career receiving yards is modest production for a tight end ranked this highly. He will need sharper releases against press, better tempo at the top of routes and more nuance against zone coverage.
• Dual-sport development time: playing basketball at A&M costs him spring practices, weight-room blocks and repetitions. That will likely slow his football development compared with single-sport tight ends in his class.

College Projection

He is listed as a freshman (#86) on Texas A&M's 2026 roster and is also on the men's basketball team. Expect a developmental 2026 spent in the rotation, on special teams and in packaged red-zone or two-tight-end sets, while the strength staff keeps building him toward 250 pounds. Collin Klein's offense and tight ends coach Christian Ellsworth recruited him as a flex weapon who can split wide, which gives him a clear path. A realistic timeline is a meaningful rotational role in 2027 and a starting-caliber F/move tight end by 2028. That assumes the basketball commitment doesn't limit his football development.

NFL Outlook

His NFL projection comes from his tools. Size, length, basketball-bred ball skills and a background at multiple positions are the traits NFL teams look for in modern move tight ends. His older brother Michael Jacobson made the jump from college basketball to NFL tight end with the New Orleans Saints, so the family has direct experience with that path. His draft value depends on whether he commits to football full-time and on how his blocking develops. If he settles at about 250 pounds and becomes at least an average in-line blocker, Day 2 is realistic. If he stays a flex-only receiver, he projects as a Day 3 player whose draft position depends on his testing.

Best Fit

He fits best in a spread or multiple-personnel offense that moves the tight end around: detached, in the slot, and in-line on play-action. That kind of offense lets his length and ball skills create mismatches without asking him to be a dominant drive blocker right away. Texas A&M under Klein is a good fit. The program also accepts his dual-sport path and his academic priorities, since he is a business major at Mays Business School.