Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders announces exit to NFL draft after record-setting career

After establishing a new standard for tight ends at Texas, Ja'Tavion Sanders is off to the NFL.

ESPN reported Saturday that Sanders had decided to enter the NFL draft. He later acknowledged the report with a post on social media that said, "Blessed."

The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Sanders is rated by Pro Football Focus as a top-50 prospect and the second-best tight end in this draft class.

When Sanders signed with then-Texas coach Tom Herman in December 2020, there was a debate as to whether he should be a tight end or an edge rusher in college. He ended up on offense and blossomed under Steve Sarkisian.

After primarily playing on special teams in 2021, Sanders had 54 receptions, 613 receiving yards and five touchdown catches during the 2022 season. He followed that performance up with 45 catches, 682 yards and two scores as a junior.

His 54 receptions during the 2022 season and his 682 receiving yards this season are school records for tight ends. No Texas tight end has had more career receptions than Sanders, who finished his UT tenure with 99.

Sanders' departure comes at the end of a week in which receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington and running back Jonathon Brooks said their farewells to Texas. That quartet accounted for 61.5% of UT's receiving yards and nearly 59% of its receptions this season. Junior receiver Adonai Mitchell, who scored on 11 of his 55 receptions this season, is also weighing a decision about his future.

With Sanders gone, Gunnar Helm will enter his senior year as the top tight end at Texas. Helm caught 14 passes this season and scored twice. Juan Davis, Spencer Shannon and Will Randle are other tight ends on the UT roster, and four-star prospect Jordan Washington is a member of the 2024 recruiting class.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football loses record-setting tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders to NFL