Why Jack Endries' Departure Won't Hurt Texas as Much as You Think

The Texas Longhorns are once again seeing some turnover in the tight end room. As the Longhorns' starting tight end in 2025 will be leaving the team after just a single season, as Jack Endries is headed to the NFL.

The tight end transferred in from Cal ahead of the 2025 season and in one year in Austin, where he totaled 33 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns. And now Endries is off to the pros, being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now Endries' departure leaves the Longhorns without a starting caliber tight end; however, Texas might have some options in the tight end room to pick up where Endries left off. While the Longhorns don't yet have a standout, the depth in the position room will be key for Texas.

Texas Will Use Depth to Replace Jack Endries

Texas Longhorns tight end Nick Townsend reaches for a pass during the second half against the San Jose State Spartans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Longhorns currently don't have a tight end in the room that stands above the rest of the group, as Endries did a year ago. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing as the tight end spot heads into a transition year, allowing the pieces in the tight end room to find a spot.

The veteran in that room currently takes shape in Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas. The tight end heads to Austin with multiple years of experience in the Big Ten, where he played four years with the Spartans, and enters year five.

Masunas will likely be looked at to be the Longhorns' in-line tight end, used mostly as a blocker to help out the pass protection and run game, which makes sense as he stands at six-foot-five, 257 pounds.

However, in Steve Sarkisian's scheme, any position player on the field has to be reliable enough to catch the football, and that's where Masunas can surprise people if he emerges as a weapon in the passing game.

Texas has two players battling for the spot to be the Longhorns' "H" tight end who lines up off the line of scrimmage as the more traditional tight end in the formation. Battling for that spot are two sophomores, Nick Townsend and Emaree Wintson.

Townsend looks to be poised to win the starting job after seeing action in all 13 games as a true freshman. The tight end recorded two receptions four seven yards and found the endzone on a running play in the regular season finale against the Texas A&M Aggies.

Winston, on the other hand, looks to compete and make a push for the starting job after having a solid spring practice. Sarkisian talked about what sticks out to him about both of the young right ends.

"I love the versatility of Nick Townsend and Emaree Winston," Sarkisian said. "These guys give us opportunities to do different things, maybe different than we've done historically, and they're not identical either, that have different things that they do well."

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