JS

Ja'Tavion Sanders

TE · Texas · Jr.

All-Conf HMCarolina — drafted 2024, Rd 4, Pick 1, #101 overall
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

Ja'Tavion Sanders

TE · Texas · Jr

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★★★
#13 national
CFB
College
Texas
2021–2023
NFL
NFL Draft
R4 · #101
Carolina · 2024

Trophy Case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 entries
🎖

ALL-CONFERENCE

All-Conf mention (2023)

All-Big 12

Coaching Lineage · 2021–2023

1 coach

Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

CarolinaEntering 3rd NFL season

#101Rd 4 · Pick 1
CarolinaEntering 3rd NFL season

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Texas5-7HC: Steve Sarkisian · Run-leaning
2022Texas8-5HC: Steve Sarkisian · Run-leaning
2023Texas12-2HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced

Awards

Trophy Case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

2 entries
🎖

ALL-CONFERENCE

All-Conf mention (2023)

All-Big 12

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2023Texas4568215.22--
2022Texas5461311.45--
2021Texas----------
Career991,29513.17--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 11 · 2023

W 29–26

at TCU

4 rec · 47 yds

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.

How he plays

Play style

Creates mismatches lined up all over the formation.

CFB Index positional classification

DNA match

Player DNA

Move TE

Lined up out wide as often as inline. Creates mismatches downfield.

TE

His 2023 production profile sits closest to Ja'Tavion Sanders’s 2022 season.

Texas · 2022

All-Big 12NFL Rd 4
#2

Sam LaPorta

Iowa · 2021

All-Big TenNFL Rd 2 · Pk 3
70%
#3

Sam LaPorta

Iowa · 2022

All-Big TenNFL Rd 2 · Pk 3
69%
#4

Seydou Traore

Arkansas State · 2022

All-Sun BeltNFL Rd 5
66%
#5

Grant Calcaterra

SMU · 2021

All-AACNFL Rd 6
65%

Matches Ja'Tavion on

Total EPA (college ability)
EPA / play (adj)
TD rate

Differs from Ja'Tavion on

Yards / reception (higher)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Sam LaPorta's junior season at Iowa (2022).

Sam LaPorta

73%match

Iowa · 2022

All-Big TenNFL Rd 2 · Pk 3
#2

Will Mallory

Miami · 2022

All-ACCNFL Rd 5
70%
#3

Brock Bowers

Georgia · 2023

MackeyConsensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 1 · Pk 13
70%
#4

Eli Stowers

Vanderbilt · 2025

MackeyCampbellConsensus All-AmericanNFL Rd 2 · Pk 22
69%
#5

James Bostic

Ohio · 2022

NFL Rd 3 · Pk 18
67%

Matches Sam on

Weight
TD rate

Differs from Sam on

Class year (lower)
Reception volume (lower)
Yards / reception (higher)

Development

Development Trajectory · receiving yards

2022–2023
6132022
6822023

+11%

Modest growth (11%) across the multi-season window.