Longhorns Country

Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders Named A Semifinalist For John Mackey Award

Ja'Tavion Sanders has earned a spot on the semifinalist list for the award given to the best tight end in college football.

Connor Zimmerlee

There might not be a player for the Texas Longhorns that has benefited from the addition of quarterback Quinn Ewers than second-year tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders. 

From the first game of the season, it was clear that Ewers and Sanders had instant chemistry, with Sanders recording 85 yards and a touchdown on six receptions in a 52-10 win over Louisiana Monroe. 

Sanders, who didn't record a single reception as a freshman, has burst onto the scene this year for the Longhorns. As such, he was named a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award on Tuesday. 

The John Mackey Award is given annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.

Through nine games Sanders has recorded 450 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 39 receptions, which are good for second on the Longhorns and leads all Big 12 tight ends. 

His 450 yards are the fifth most for a tight end in Texas history and puts him just 188 yards away from breaking the record with three games remaining in the regular season.

Sanders' breakout season has been big for a Texas team that lost Isaiah Neyor to a torn ACL before the season started, as he has become one of Ewers' go-to targets. A tight end will always be valuable in Steve Sarkisian's offense, and Sanders has shown exactly why.

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

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