85 days until Texas Football: Opportunity arrives for Gunnar Helm
Inside Texas is putting a new twist on long-time photographer Will Gallagher’s time-honored countdown to Texas football kickoff. In addition to Will’s great pictures, the Inside Texas staff will go through every player on the roster by jersey number and offer a season outlook on each, from five-star to walk-on.
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We’ll also look back at other greats to wear that day’s number, with special reverence to some of Texas’ best.
Today is 85 days until kickoff. No. 85 will be worn for the Longhorns this season by Gunnar Helm, a junior tight end.
Gunnar Helm season outlook
Helm saw some action in 2021 but ceded snaps to Cade Brewer and Jared Wiley while preparing his body for the physical rigors of the position. A lean toward 12 personnel in 2022 to facilitate success for Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson placed another Longhorn tight end on the field often. However, that second tight end alongside Ja’Tavion Sanders was usually Andrej Karic, an offensive lineman wearing an eligible receiver’s number.
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Karic decided to head to Rocky Top, leaving Helm as the second option behind Sanders. Though Texas isn’t likely to run as much 12 personnel in 2023, Helm will be the second tight end in formation whenever Texas does utilize that package. Plus, Helm is steady enough at the position to provide solid play in an important role in the Texas offense if Sanders ever needed a breather or was out for any extended amount of time. Helm saw 238 standard down snaps last year. That number is sure to increase in 2023.
Helm has played in 25 games in his two seasons on the 40 Acres with four starts, all of them last season when he caught five passes for 44 yards. Helm was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2022 and is a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022, fall 2022).
Gunnar Helm as a recruit
Helm was ranked as the No. 688 overall prospect, the No. 38 tight end, and the No. 6 player in Colorado in the 2021 On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.
Recent player to wear No. 85: Malcolm Epps
With the Longhorns, Epps caught 24 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
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All-Americans to wear No. 85
Tom Stolhandske, DE, 1952
Steve Habel co-authored this article.
