Longhorns TE Ja'Tavion Sanders 'Ready to Show the World' This Season

Texas Longhorns tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders is expecting more out of himself in 2023 despite being one of the best at his position in the Big 12 last season.

© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

AUSTIN, Texas - Ja'Tavion Sanders had a year to remember for the Texas Longhorns last season, setting a program single-season record for catches by a tight end.

Think he's satisfied?

“I’ve been in grind mode, I’m ready to show the world what I’m really capable of," Sanders said Thursday. "Last year was my opening season, and I’m ready to show my full story now.”

If last year was just the opening, Texas fans should be filled with excitement headed into this fall.

In a big-name offense that was a bit inconsistent at times, Sanders proved to be one of the most important weapons. He finished with 54 catches for 613 yards and five touchdowns, as his catch and scoring totals were both second on the team.

His yardage total was good for third-best behind receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington, respectively. Luckily for his already impressive stats, getting more yards after the catch is something Sanders admitted he's emphasized this offseason while taking inspiration from some of the best to do it.

“Really any play I got tackled by the first person," Sanders said. "I hold myself to a high standard … the first person should never tackle me.

"I left a lot of plays on the field last year, so that was one of my big emphasis coming into this offseason. You look at guys like Travis Kelce and George Kittle, they get all their yards off of YAC.”

If Sanders is taking even a crumb of inspiration from guys like Kelce and Kittle, then the Texas offense could be in for one heck of a season.

But we'll have to wait about five months to potentially see this outburst. Still, that's five more months that Sanders can stay working on "showing the world" while continuing to write himself in the Texas football history books.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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