Texas Longhorns NFL Development 'Second to None' at NFL Combine

Texas Longhorns senior tight end Gunnar Helm was just a three-star prospect out of Englewood, Colorado when he committed back in 2020.

He'll now leave the program carrying the single-season record in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end, recording 60 catches for 786 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.

Helm stands as one of a record-breaking 14 Longhorns that were invited to the NFL Combine beginning this Thursday, where he got the chance to speak about how head coach Steve Sarkisian played a monumental role in his growth.

"I really think the process at the University of Texas is second to none," Helm said. "Coach [Sarkisian] knows how to develop players. I think I'm a walking example of that, there are other guys that are walking examples of that, Barryn Sorrell, Alfred Collins, guys that waited their turn, and as soon as they were put in the moment, obviously shine."

"The process at the University of Texas is second to none"

No one is a better example of that development process than Gunnar Helm...

Came in as a relatively unknown 3 star and left Texas as the single-season record holder for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end… pic.twitter.com/3AHHP7MFme
— anne-parker coleman (@anneparkercole1) February 27, 2025

Barryn Sorrell and Alfred Collins, who joined Helm at the Combine, were crucial starters on the Texas secondary during the team's back-to-back 12-2 record and College Football Playoff seasons in 2023 and 2024. A senior EDGE, Sorrell completed this past season with a career-best 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks and was the only defensive player to have double-digit quarterback hurries with 12. Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Collins led his position with seven pass breakups and was just one of two players to block a field goal attempt this year.

Helm, Sorrell, and Collins all stayed with Sarkisian ever since he arrived on the Forty Acres in 2021, and Helm mentioned that a key part of the development process was having and building mutual trust throughout the years.

"I think something that Coach [Sarkisian] does very well is have trust in his players, and then allows them to have trust in him," Helm said. "He throws us in the fire from a young age, I played all four years at the University of Texas, guys like Barryn played all four years at the University of Texas. The development phase at the University of Texas has allowed them to have more numbers of guys going to the Combine every year, more guys get drafted, just more guys getting fully developed and playing to their full potential."

Texas received no invites to the Combine during the Sarkisian era until two Longhorns, kicker Cameron Dicker and defensive back Joshua Thompson, were selected following an 8-5 season in 2022. The next year saw a massive leap of 11 invitees after Texas captured the Big 12 Championship title and a national championship berth, and now the Longhorns will send 14 more to conclude another historic season.

Helm, Sorrell and Collins look to be part of the next wave of Texas NFL Draft selections and have already met with teams such as the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys.

Regardless of where and when they will be picked up, there's no question that Sarkisian has proven what he can do for athletes hoping to be the next Helm.

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