Sophomore tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders quickly emerged as redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers’ favorite target during Texas’ 52-10 beatdown of Lousiana-Monroe. 

Sanders accounted for nearly 38% of the Longhorns’ offensive productivity Saturday, amassing six receptions for 85 yards as Texas’ top receiver for the night. 

“I think JT Sanders had a fantastic game,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Not just receiving but blocking.”

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Ewers’ first couple of snaps were shaky. After missing sophomore Xavier Worthy on a second-and-7, Ewers threw along the right sideline into traffic, with Louisiana-Monroe defensive back Tristan Driggers swooping over from the left to pick off the Ohio State transfer.

During the next drive, Ewers handed the ball off to junior running back Bijan Robinson four times before attempting another pass.

Confronted with a fourth-and-4, Ewers scrambled after receiving the snap and caught glimpse of Sanders alongside the right sideline in man coverage, pitching the ball to the tight end for a 5-yard gain to extend the drive. 

The fourth-down conversion was Ewers’ and Sanders’ first completed pass and catch for positive yardage in their college careers. 

“Just knowing I can have an impact on this offense is a real great feeling,” Sanders said. 

Just two plays later, Ewers and Sanders connected again for a touchdown. At the Warhawks’ 19-yard line, Ewers faked a rush attempt to senior running back Roschon Johnson before rolling over to the right sideline for an easy pitch pass to Sanders in front of the goal line.

Much of Sanders’ action on the night came via simple checkdowns that Sanders turned into significant gains. In the third quarter, Sanders caught a pass that yielded a 25-yard gain when Ewers’ found himself on the run looking for an outlet.

Sanders said that he was supposed to be blocking the edge rusher on that play, but he became a spontaneous pass option when there was no edge rusher to be found, noting that Ewers was comfortable with their chemistry to make big plays out of nothing.

“Ever since Quinn committed here, we were always talking about how he likes throwing to the tight end,” Sanders said. “So I was like, ‘Yeah, we gotta lock in for sure.’ So ever since then, we’ve been locked in.”

While Sanders might evolve into being a security blanket for a young quarterback with what Sarkisian refers to as “growing pains,” Sanders can make flashy plays too. In the third quarter, Ewers threw a 25-yard pass to the tight end up the middle through a defender’s hands.

“I saw the replay and was like, ‘Oh my God, that was a dime,’” Sanders said. “(Ewers) was like, ‘I told you bro, I will put it where it needs to be every time.’”

This offseason, head coach Steve Sarkisian noted Sanders as one of the most improved players through spring training and fall camp. Originally listed as a wide receiver that doubled as a defensive end at Denton Ryan High School, Sarkisian switched him over to tight end, where he could be utilized as a physical, hybrid, red-zone threat in Texas’ new offense.

Due to him learning a new position during 2021’s fall camp, Sanders fell to the bottom of the depth chart beneath more experienced players like fifth-year senior Cade Brewer and early enrollee Gunnar Helm, mostly finding play time on special teams with the field goal unit. 

Sanders recognized that his first year with little playing time allowed him to improve as a tight end both physically and emotionally. 

“I kind of already knew I wasn’t going to have as much playing time my freshman year,” Sanders said. “I wasn’t tripping. (I wanted to) make myself a better football player for this team so I could ball out this year.”