Texas Football: 5 key injured Longhorns players heading into Texas Tech

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE

In the first half against Iowa State, junior tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders came up hobbled with an ankle injury after being tackled by an Iowa State defender on a passing play. Sanders got his ankle rolled up on during that tackle by the Iowa State defender in the first half.

Sanders limped back to the sideline for further treatment on the ankle after that play against Iowa State. But he later returned to the game and played nearly three dozen offensive snaps in the second half.

Fellow junior tight end Gunnar Helm received more targets in the passing game, with Sanders dealing with the lingering ankle injury in the second half. Helm was targeted twice in the passing game in the second half against Iowa State, resulting in two catches for 40 receiving yards and one touchdown.

One of Helm’s two catches resulted in the game-winning touchdown on a 31-yard hookup between him and Ewers early in the fourth quarter, which put the Longhorns up 23-9 at the time.

Sanders is expected to be good to go for the Longhorns in the Texas Tech game on Black Friday, as this ankle issue reportedly isn’t as serious as the one he suffered on Oct. 7 in Red River against Oklahoma.