Gunnar Helm Close to Making Texas Longhorns History

Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm could make program history this postseason.

Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm (85) attempts to break a tackle by Texas A&M defensive back Dezz Ricks (10) during the Lone Star Showdown at Kyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm has had a season to remember, but with the postseason still yet to get underway, he might just be getting started.

Helm is on the brink of making Texas football history this upcoming postseason and has a chance to easily pass two records previously set by his former teammate Ja'Tavion Sanders if the Longhorns can advance deep into the College Football Playoff.

Currently at 48 catches this season entering Saturday's SEC Championship against Georgia, Helm is seven grabs away from passing the single-season tight end program record of 54 catches that Sanders had in 2022. Helm also has 600 receiving yards, which is 82 yards short of the single-season program tight end record 682 yards Sanders finished with last season. Helm has also caught five touchdowns so far this season.

Helm had a quiet first few seasons on the Forty Acres but he's exploded onto the scene and could now make program history as a result.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has praised Helm for how he waited his turn behind Sanders over the past few seasons.

"I've been really proud of Gunnar," Sarkisian said in October. "He was in the kind of our inaugural recruiting class, those kids signed in December, and then I got hired in January. And so we had a little information on Gunnar in the recruitment process from the previous place we were at, but to watch his growth over four years, from where he was just kind of a developmental player in our program his first year, the next year, kind of found a little bit of a role. And then year three, last year, had a real role as kind of an inline blocker, as JT Sanders was catching a lot of balls, Gunnar continued to work at it, and I think the dedication that he made to developing himself in the passing game, we saw glimpses of it last year, but what he's been able to do this year has become a real weapon and a real target and a primary receiver, and a guy that can not only catch the ball, but can create explosive plays and can make people miss in the open field."

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