Jets invite Marist tight end Connor Hulstein after record-setting season

Connor Hulstein’s breakout season at Marist ended with a rookie minicamp invitation from the New York Jets, the kind of post-draft opportunity that usually belongs to tight ends who have done more than pile up empty catches. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound senior from Frisco, Texas, finished the 2025 season with 42 receptions for 599 yards and seven touchdowns, then landed on the Jets’ radar after a year that pushed him to the front of the FCS tight end class.

That production was not just good for Marist. It was elite across the subdivision. Hulstein ranked first among FCS tight ends in receiving yards, second in touchdowns and fourth in receptions, and Marist’s awards coverage said he set school single-season tight end records for yards, yards per reception at 14.3, and touchdowns. That is the type of line that cuts through the noise in the rookie-minicamp window: size, efficiency and scoring production, all from a position where NFL teams are constantly looking for one more mismatch in the red zone.

Hulstein’s path makes the invite even more interesting. He spent four seasons at Princeton before transferring for his graduate year at Marist, where he quickly became one of the best tight ends in the FCS. Princeton said he played in 26 games for the Tigers and produced 11 catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns there, giving him a broader résumé than the usual one-year small-school flash. That matters to pro evaluators. A player who can move from one program to another, pick up a new system and still produce at a record pace is showing more than raw talent. He is showing adaptability, which is often the difference between a tryout body and a real camp candidate.

The honors backed up the numbers. Hulstein was named a second-team All-American by The Associated Press and a third-team All-American by Pro Football Network, putting him in rare company for an FCS tight end. Marist had recruited Mike Willis earlier in Hulstein’s career, and the current Red Foxes head coach saw the payoff in Poughkeepsie: a tight end who could dominate enough to draw NFL attention and give Marist a clean proof point for what its platform can produce.

Now the challenge shifts to rookie minicamp, where the next step is not just surviving reps but standing out in them. If Hulstein shows that his frame, hands and production translate against NFL athletes, the Jets could have more than a camp invite on their hands. He could earn a shot at training camp, where the path from FCS standout to roster contender begins to get real.