Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely (born April 18, 2000) is an American football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Coastal Carolina and was selected by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years
Likely grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attended Malden High School before transferring to Everett High School for his senior year. As a junior, he caught 59 passes for 917 yards with 11 touchdowns.

College career
He attended Coastal Carolina. As a freshman in the 2018 season, Likely caught 12 passes for 106 yards and five touchdowns in seven games. He was named third-team All-Sun Belt Conference after finishing his sophomore season with 32 receptions for 431 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He had six receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown in the 24–21 victory over Texas State in the Chanticleers' last game. Likely was named first-team All-Sun Belt and a second-team All-American by Pro Football Focus after catching 30 passes for 601 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. He had three receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in a 34–23 victory over Appalachian State. During his senior year, Likely was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week after catching eight passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns in a 52–20 win over Arkansas State. Likely tied the NCAA record for longest touchdown reception on his first of the four touchdowns with a 99-yard reception. He repeated as a first-team All-Sun Belt selection after catching 59 passes for 912 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns. Likely led the Sun Belt in receiving touchdowns in the 2021 season.

Professional career
Likely was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round, 139th overall, of the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 season
Likely spent his rookie season as the second tight end on the depth chart behind Mark Andrews. He caught his first NFL touchdown in a 27-22 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8. In Week 18, he had eight receptions for 103 receiving yards in the 16–27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. In his rookie season, Likely appeared in 16 games, of which he started two. He finished with 36 receptions for 373 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

2023 season
Likely started slowly in the 2023 season as he was once again second on the depth chart behind Mark Andrews. He recorded four receptions for 42 yards in a 37-3 blowout win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9. Andrews would suffer a severe ankle injury in the Ravens' Week 11 34-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and miss the rest of the regular season. Likely became the lead tight end in Andrew's absence and made the most of his opportunity, recording 21 receptions for 322 yards and five touchdowns in the last six games of the season. Likely's best game came in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, where he had five receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown as the Ravens won in overtime 37-31. Likely recorded his first multi-touchdown game of his career in Week 17 as he caught two passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-19 rout of the Miami Dolphins. Likely finished the season with 30 receptions for 411 yards and five touchdowns.

Likely's hot streak continued into the postseason. In the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, he recorded two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown in a 34-10 rout.