Texas is competing for a national championship on Monday. The last time the team was legitimately in the national title discussion Colt McCoy led the team at quarterback.
McCoy relived his time in Austin in an interview with the Horns Up Podcast: Talkin’ Texas with Quan Cosby. In the interview, the Longhorn legend was asked what player on the Longhorns’ 2023 squad he wished played on his teams. Without hesitation, McCoy chose Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders.
He went into his pick on the podcast.
“When (Texas tight end) Blaine Irby got hurt … we ended up spreading it out. And we adjusted, right? I mean, having Quan (Cosby) and Jordan (Shipley) was like a luxury. But had we had a tight end, you know, being able to get into some different personnel groups, it would have been a big factor for us.”
Adding a tight end as dynamic as Sanders certainly would have been an advantage. McCoy, Shipley and Cosby don’t get enough credit for hiding other deficiencies on the offensive side. They might not have had to carry as heavy a burden in offensive production had Sanders been on those teams.
The current Texas squad is fortunate to have players like Sanders and fellow receivers in Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington to throw the football to. Even so, it’s by no mistake that those four players are on the Forty Acres. Credit head coach Steve Sarkisian for building, retaining and maintaining one of the best receiver rooms in the country.
Sanders and company will look to carry Texas to its first national title appearance since McCoy played for the team. The Longhorns take on the Washington Huskies at 7:45 p.m. CT on New Year’s Day.
Who’s the one player @ColtMcCoy would take from this current Longhorn Team and put on his Texas squad?
👀👀👀👀 @Jatavionsanders pic.twitter.com/xas3UoFfIZ
— The Charity Stripe (@_CharityStripe_) December 28, 2023