Ja'Tavion Sanders Lives Out Texas Longhorns Dream In Sugar Bowl Matchup

Ja'Tavion Sanders was desitned to come to Austin, but his position was a place of question leading into his first season on campus

Ja'Tavion Sanders was always meant to find his way to Austin. 

His status as the next great tight end and security blanket for the Texas Longhorns' offense? That was up in the air. 

Sanders was once thought to be a rising star at defensive end. The hyper-athletic Denton Ryan product was scouted as both a pass-rusher and pass-catcher under Tom Herman when he committed to the Forty Acres. And if Shohei Ohtani could do it on the diamond, why couldn't Sanders duplicate the same story on the gridiron? 

Texas Longhorns TE Ja'Tavion Sanders celebrates winning the Big 12 Conference championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas / © Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY

Perhaps it's a good thing Sanders stuck to the offensive side of the ball. He's blossomed into one of the top tight ends in college football and a fixture on an offense that's two games away from winning its first national title since 2005. 

Sanders actually had a say in where he would suit up when he arrived on campus and spoke to Steve Sarkisian. After leading Alabama to a national title with record-setting numbers in 2020, Sanders thought learning from the guru would be best. 

Wise choice, Sanders. 

“He’s one of the best play-callers in college football," Sanders said Friday during a media session before Monday's College Football Playoff semifinal game against Washington in the Sugar Bowl. "I never had a doubt in my mind. I always wanted to be on offense and score touchdowns.”

On offense, Sanders is a chain-mover. He's notched at least 39 catches over the past two years and posted over 600 receiving yards. The go-to name down low for Quinn Ewers, Sanders also can move in space, averaging 13.1 yards per play over the past two seasons. 

But scoring touchdowns? He has potentially two games to bolster those numbers before likely leaving for the NFL. As a sophomore, Sanders found the end zone five times. This past fall, he's reached the feat twice. 

With so many options, Ewers is always guessing which receiver he will target for six. Adonai Mitchell has 10 scores. Xavier Worthy has five. Gunner Helm, T'Vondre Sweat, Jordan Whittington, Bryon Murhpy (yes, that Murphy), and three more players have at least one, so Sanders could be viewed as the odd man out. 

NFL scouts won't care about the number of catches but rather what a player does with the ball in his hands. George Kittle is one of the NFL's top tight ends, and he graduated from Iowa with 48 career grabs in four years. 

Sanders hopes to find the end zone, but he knows he's improved his stock simply by playing under Sarkisian. He's also developed into one of the league's top run blockers, helping Bijan Robinson win the Doak Walker Award last season and Jonathon Brooks total 1,100 yards before suffering a season-ending injury.

One could say he's the complete package despite lackluster numbers. Teammates would agree with the sentiment. 

“He’s never complained about not getting the ball enough," said Ewers. "I think he’s got a tremendous role in our offense. And I think that goes to show you how much of a team guy he is because he’s not out there complaining, even though he’s one of the best tight ends in the country. He’s not a selfish guy at all.” 

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Sarkisian watched during his first stint at Alabama O.J. Howard bullied defenders in the College Football Playoff en route to a national championship. The year prior, Howard, who'd go on to be selected top-20 in 2017, won Offensive Player of the Game against Clemson after a 208-yard, two-touchdown outing. 

Entering a January evening in Glendale, Ariz., Howard totaled 392 yards and zero touchdowns. A year later at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., it was more of the same thing. 

Maybe that's Sanders' trajectory heading into New Orleans. At this point, he cares more about closing out the season with two wins rather than two scores.