Gabe Ikard compares Texas’ Ja'Tavion Sanders to Georgia’s Brock Bowers

Brock Bowers currently holds the John Mackey Award, given out annually to the nation’s best tight end. Through five games, it’s going to be tough to dethrone the Georgia star. But if anyone has a chance to steal the title for him, it might be Texas‘ Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Former Oklahoma offensive lineman Gabe Ikard believes Sanders might be the best tight end in the country — even if Sanders is a little banged up at the moment. So much of what Texas wants to do on the offensive end goes through him. Bowers is certainly one but how many other tight ends are consistently getting screens called for them?

“Brock Bowers is fantastic,” Ikard said via Thursday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “I’m not so sure Ja’Tavion Sanders isn’t the best tight end in the country. I mean, he is an absolute freak show of an athlete. And they build a lot of their offense to get him the ball.

“If you just defensively, they’ll counter with the screen game. A lot of those go to Ja’Tavion Sanders and he’s special with the ball in his hands.”

Oklahoma fans know well what Sanders is capable of. In last year’s game at the Cotton Bowl, Sanders went for 71 yards and two touchdowns on just seven receptions. He has become a favorite of quarterback Quinn Ewers over the past two seasons.

An ankle injury against Baylor put the status of Sanders in question heading into the Red River Shootout. Steve Sarkisian said the tight end is going to go but the general feeling is that he is not going to be close to 100%.

Texas would have a real matchup nightmare if JT Sanders was in perfect health. It’s still true with the ankle problem but Oklahoma can potentially breathe a little easier.

“I was really, really concerned about how Oklahoma’s safeties and what they call their Cheetah position — I was really concerned about how they match up with Ja’Tavion Sanders,” Ikard said. “Dasan McCullough is a guy that has played a lot at that Cheetah spot. I didn’t think McCullough was going to match up well with Sanders athletically.

“Now you’re talking about a 65, 70% Ja’Tavion Sanders? I feel better about that matchup.”

If Sanders is going to elevate his name to the same tier as Bowers, a big performance is going to be needed in Dallas. Bowers nearly single-handily beat Auburn for Georgia last week, carrying them down the field in crunch time.

The ability is certainly there if Sarkisian dials a play up for JT Sanders.