Longhorns Baseball's Nik Sanders Joins Football Team

After his freshman season at Disch-Falk Field, Sanders joins the football team this fall.

Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dual-sport athletes are far from a new thing in athletics, especially at the college level. In fact, it isn't an uncommon sight for quarterbacks to have played both sports at some point in college. For a recent example, Patrick Mahomes II played both baseball and football while at Texas Tech.

On Monday, current Texas Longhorn Nik Sanders took to social media to announce that he would be joining the football team ahead of the upcoming season. Sanders played baseball for the Longhorns during the 2024 season and will now take his talents to the gridiron as well.

Texas catcher Nik Sanders (37) bats as the Longhorns play Houston Christian at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

It isn't an unprecedented move for Sanders, as the freshman played both football and baseball in high school as well. He played football at Waco University and Waco La Vega, bringing that experience now to college.

He is listed as a running back on the current football roster, standing at 6-2 and 215 pounds, and will be wearing the No. 31 jersey. For the baseball team, Sanders saw very little action during his first season with the Longhorns.

After starting as the opening day designated hitter, his action decreased and over the course of the season, he only totaled 18 at-bats with a mere .056 average in nine games.

There's no telling how much action, if any, that Sanders will see for the Longhorns on Saturdays this fall. Even if he doesn't get into a game, however, staying active and training with the team will have him well prepared for opening day next February.