Atlanta Falcons Sign Texas Longhorns Punter Ryan Sanborn to UDFA Deal

Texas Longhorns punter Ryan Sanborn wasn't selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it didn't take long for him to sign a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ryan Sanborn (27)
Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ryan Sanborn (27) | Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:


AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns had 11 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the most in program history for the modern era.

Incredibly, nearly the entire Texas 2024 draft class was selected, with punter Ryan Sanborn being the only player to not have his name called. However, it didn't take long for him to find a home in the NFL soon after the draft came to a close on Saturday.

Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ryan Sanborn (27)
Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns punter Ryan Sanborn (27) | Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas football official X (Twitter) account announced that Sanborn has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons. He now has a shot at making the final 53-man roster and potentially joining former Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the process, who starred for Atlanta as a rookie this past season.

Sanborn, a San Diego native, began his collegiate career at Stanford in 2019. He spent four seasons with the Cardinal before transferring to Texas last offseason.

In his career, Sanborn had 232 punts. This past season with the Longhorns, he had 40 punts for 1,828 total yards and an average of 45.7 yard per punt, which was the seventh-best single-season average in program history. He finished the 2023 season as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Sanborn hit 8 of 10 field goals during his time at Stanford, but didn't place kick at Texas. He also connected on his only career pass - a one-yard completion to kicker Bert Auburn - in Texas' 31-24 win over Houston this past season


Published
Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

Share on XFollow ZachDimmitt7