By Kyle Kavanaugh, Louisiana Tech Senior Associate Athletic Director /External Affairs and CBO; featured photo by Josh McDaniel
Louisiana Tech senior tight end Eli Finley has been named to the 2026 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List, becoming one of just 43 tight ends nationally recognized for the award presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate tight end.
Finley continues to build momentum entering his senior season after also earning Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team honors and being selected to the 2027 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List.
The Heath, Texas, native enters the 2026 season as one of the Sun Belt Conference’s top returning tight ends. Through 37 career games with 26 starts, Finley, who is also known for his blocking prowess, has recorded 65 receptions for 768 yards and two touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the Bulldogs’ most important offensive weapons.
Finley is coming off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors after leading the Bulldogs with 38 receptions for 444 yards. He averaged 11.7 yards per catch and posted multiple receptions in nine games, including a career-best six catches for 154 yards against new Sun Belt foe Southern Miss.
The John Mackey Award has been presented annually since 2000 to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate tight end and is named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer John Mackey, who starred for the Baltimore Colts from 1963-71. The award recipient will be announced during The Home Depot College Football Awards in December.