Previewing Utah State’s 2026 tight ends

LOGAN — The 2026 college football season is 12 days away for the Utah State Aggies, but roster questions remain.

Utah State’s tight end room received a serious makeover after leading performers Broc Lane and Josh Sterzer graduated. The duo combined for 26 catches, 284 yards and three touchdowns last season.

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The Aggies entered fall camp with five tight ends on the roster, led by returning junior Kache Kaio, who caught two passes in 2025.

Behind the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award watch list honoree, the Aggies will rely on two upperclassman transfers and a pair of true freshmen.

It’s a position group defined more by potential than production.

Kaio is the only returning tight end with game experience at the FBS level, and behind him, the Aggies are betting on a Division II defensive lineman converting to tight end, a fullback-hybrid built to run block, and two freshmen who have never taken a college snap.

How quickly this group gels could determine whether Utah State’s revamped offense has the versatility it needs in Year 1 under offensive coordinator Robert Anae.

Kache Kaio – Junior

One of a handful of former Snow College Badgers on the roster, Kaio played nine games as a true freshman for Snow in 2024.

His 13 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns helped the Badgers go 9-2 and finish the year ranked No. 5 in the country.

The Laie, Hawaii, native and Kahuku High School product played all 13 games for Utah State last season, making his first start at Hawaii midway through the schedule. He logged 130 snaps but recorded just two catches for 10 yards.

Tyler Masdea – Graduate senior

Originally from Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Tyler Masdea joins Utah State after four seasons, 30 games and 18 career starts — as a defensive lineman — for the Division II Shippensburg Raiders.

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He finished his career at Shippensburg with 55 tackles, four sacks and 15 tackles for a loss.

At 6-foot, 285 pounds, Masdea will need to carve out a new role at a position that demands a different skill set than the one he built over four years on defense.

Preston McDaniel – Freshman

Considered the seventh-best prospect from Idaho in 2026, Preston McDaniel earned three all-conference selections while playing for Thunder Ridge High School in Idaho Falls.

He brings size to the position at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. McDaniel caught 30 passes for 451 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.

Jude Nelson – Freshman

Originally from Long Beach, California, Jude Nelson was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports after being named Moore League Player of the Year as a senior at Millikan High School.

Nelson caught 61 passes for 824 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior, including a 10-catch, 153-yard, four-touchdown game against Compton.

Collin Remenowsky – Senior

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Collin Remenowsky comes to Utah State with 29 starts and 37 games of experience at Ashland University.

He caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown and ran 19 times for 95 yards and one rushing touchdown for the Eagles.

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But Remenowsky’s primary value may come as a blocker.

Offensive coordinator Robert Anae has referred to the role as “rhino” — a bigger-bodied tight end who can line up as a de facto fullback and give the Aggies a physical presence at the point of attack.

Looking ahead

On paper, it’s one of the thinnest position groups on the Utah State roster. But the Aggies aren’t asking their tight ends to be featured pass catchers — they’re asking them to block, to create running lanes and, occasionally, to win a one-on-one matchup in the red zone.

Kaio has the most experience. Remenowsky has the most defined role. And the freshmen, Nelson in particular, have the most upside.

Whether that’s enough depends on how fast five players from five different backgrounds can learn to function as one.

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The Aggies open the 2026 season against Idaho State on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on September 5. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. MT.

Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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