Ja’Tavion Sanders, a junior tight end, enters the NFL Draft
Ja’Tavion Sanders, a junior tight end at Texas, will forgo his senior season and enter the 2024 NFL Draft after having an incredible career in just three years. Sanders caught 99 passes for 1,295 yards and two touchdowns while attending Texas.
Sanders is ranked as Mel Kiper’s No. 2 tight end prospect going into the draft, as first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He was third overall in tight end receiving yards this season, and his draft projection puts him right behind Brock Bowers of Georgia.
In an interview with ESPN, Sanders stated, “Playing college football and making it to the NFL has been a childhood dream.” “To be where I am right now is truly a blessing.”
Against Alabama, the Denton native recorded his highest receiving yardage total of the season—114. In 2023, he scored 100 yards in two more games—one in the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State and the other against Baylor. He completed a flea-flicker touchdown in the Big 12 Championship to give Texas a bigger lead over the Cowboys and win the team’s first Big 12 championship in fourteen years.
With 99 catches, Sanders has more than any other tight end from Texas, and his steady hands make him one of the draft’s most reliable tight ends. In addition, he broke the mark in 2022 with 54 receptions throughout a single season at the position, and in 2023 with 683 receiving yards.
“I have so much gratitude. It’s truly a blessing to get the opportunity to play at the University of Texas, Sanders told ESPN. “Going out and playing ultimately led me to where I am now; it’s a blessing and a dream come true.”
