Texas TE Ja'Tavion Sanders declares for 2024 NFL Draft

Texas is losing another star playmaker on its offense to the NFL. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is declaring for the NFL draft, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The former five-star recruit caught 45 passes for 682 yards and two touchdowns this past season while helping the Longhorns to the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff.

Sanders ends his college career with 99 catches for 1,295 yards and seven scores.

Prior to coming to Texas, Sanders was ranked as the No. 12 overall player in the country in the class of 2021, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

He appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman, mostly on special teams, and did not catch a pass.

Ja’Tavion Sanders then had a breakout season in 2022, catching 54 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Big 12 in 2022 and was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award.

Sanders put together another impressive season in 2023, earning All-American honors.

The Texas native is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Ja’Tavion Sanders regularly impressed on the big stage, catching eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Big 12 Championship game. He added six catches for 75 yards against Washington in the CFP semifinal.

More on the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.

Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.

The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility.

Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.

The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.