Texas Football: TE Transfer Jack Endries Steps Up as UT Rebuilds Depth

The University of Texas Longhorns football program enters the 2025 season with sky-high expectations, fresh off a 13-3 campaign in 2024 that saw them reach the College Football Playoff semifinals. Under fifth-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, Austin has become a destination for elite talent, bolstered by the program’s move to the Southeastern Conference and the allure of quarterback Arch Manning taking over as the full-time starter. Yet, beneath the glamour of national title aspirations lies a gritty reality: rebuilding depth across multiple position groups after losing key contributors to the NFL Draft, eligibility exhaustion, and the transfer portal. Nowhere is this more evident than at tight end, where the departure of All-SEC performer Gunnar Helm leaves a void in both production and leadership. Enter Jack Endries, the transfer from California who has quickly emerged as the anchor of a retooled tight end room, providing stability and upside as the Longhorns aim to maintain their offensive identity.

Endries’ arrival in April 2025 wasn’t just a portal splash; it was a calculated move to inject proven production into a unit that suddenly looked thin. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Danville, California native, a former walk-on at Cal, committed to Texas after a whirlwind visit to Austin, signing just days after entering the portal. His stats speak volumes: over his final two seasons with the Golden Bears, Endries hauled in 91 receptions for 1,031 yards and four touchdowns, including a breakout 2024 campaign with 56 catches for 623 yards and two scores—numbers that led Cal in receiving despite playing in the talent-laden ACC. Ranked as the No. 4 tight end in the portal by 247Sports, he was PFF’s second-best returning tight end nationally entering 2025, with just one drop on the year. For a Texas offense that has thrived on versatile tight ends under Sarkisian—Ja’Tavion Sanders in 2023 and Helm in 2024, both fourth-round NFL picks—Endries represents continuity, not reinvention.

But Endries’ value extends beyond the stat sheet. In a position group that lost Helm to the draft, fellow starter Juan Davis to graduation, and blue-chip transfer Amari Niblack to Texas A&M, the Longhorns were staring at a depth chart heavy on potential but light on experience. Redshirt sophomore Spencer Shannon and redshirt freshman Jordan Washington were the most seasoned holdovers, but neither had eclipsed 10 catches in a season. Freshmen like Emaree Winston and Nick Townsend—both early enrollees with raw athleticism—added promise, but the room screamed for a veteran voice. Endries, now a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility left, has filled that role seamlessly. During fall camp, Sarkisian praised his “strong first impression,” noting how the transfer’s poise in route-running and blocking has elevated practices. “Jack’s got that quiet confidence,” Sarkisian said after a July session. “He’s not just catching balls; he’s teaching the young guys how to win one-on-one battles.” By September, as the season opener against defending champion Ohio State loomed, Endries was penciled in as the starter, a safety blanket for Manning in high-stakes SEC play.

The broader context of Texas’ depth rebuild underscores why Endries’ step-up feels so pivotal. The 2024 Longhorns offense was a juggernaut, averaging 40.2 points per game and leaning heavily on 12-personnel formations—two tight ends, one back—that created mismatches and protected young quarterbacks like Quinn Ewers. Helm’s 45 receptions for 594 yards and five touchdowns were the glue, often drawing coverage to free up wideouts like Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden. Losing him, alongside Davis’ nine catches for 54 yards in a rotational role, stripped away 60% of the position’s snaps. Niblack’s brief stint—five grabs for 33 yards before portaling out—did little to stem the tide. Suddenly, Texas’ tight end room, once a strength, mirrored the challenges across the roster: the offensive line lost all four starters (Kelvin Banks, Hayden Conner, Jake Majors, and Cameron Williams to the draft), the backfield bid farewell to Jaydon Blue, and the receiving corps said goodbye to Bond and Golden.

Sarkisian’s response has been aggressive portal usage, landing seven transfers overall, including Endries, Stanford wideout Emmett Mosley V, and Purdue defensive lineman Cole Brevard. At tight end, this infusion has transformed a liability into a strength-in-progress. The current depth chart, as projected post-fall camp, lists Endries as TE1, with Washington backing him up in two-tight-end sets. Shannon, a 6-5 athletic freak with sprinter speed, slots in as the third option, ideal for red-zone mismatches. Winston, down to 237 pounds after shedding bulk in the offseason, brings H-back versatility, while Townsend—the No. 66 overall recruit in the 2025 class—has drawn raves from tight ends coach Jeff Banks as a “surprise package” with soft hands and blocking grit. “We’ve got depth now, real depth,” Banks told reporters in August. “Different skill sets—Jack’s the route guy, Jordan’s the seam-stretcher, Spencer’s the YAC threat. It’s Sark’s playground.”

This rebuilt room isn’t just about numbers; it’s about fit in an offense evolving around Manning. The nephew of Peyton and Eli enters 2025 as BetMGM’s Heisman favorite at +600 odds, with the Longhorns pegged as national title frontrunners at +500. But at 19, Manning’s arm talent—laser precision on deep balls to Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore—needs reliability underneath. Endries provides that, his low drop rate and contested-catch prowess (winning 68% of 50-50 balls at Cal) echoing Sanders’ role as Ewers’ security blanket. Early exhibitions hint at chemistry: in a closed scrimmage last week, Manning hit Endries for a 28-yard touchdown on a corner route, exploiting a safety’s hesitation. Analysts like ESPN’s Matt Miller have already tabbed Endries as a 2026 NFL Draft “sleeper,” projecting him as the best of Sark’s recent tight end pipeline. “Sark develops these guys into pros,” Miller wrote in June. “Endries could be the steal if he stays healthy.”

Yet, challenges persist in the rebuild. Depth means little without cohesion, and Texas’ tight ends must gel quickly amid a brutal schedule: road at Ohio State (Aug. 30), home against San Jose State and UTEP to start, then Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma in October. Injuries plagued the position last year—Davis missed two games with a hamstring tweak—and with only five scholarship tight ends, attrition could expose the youth. Winston, for instance, arrived as a 246-pounder but slimmed down to boost speed, risking durability. Townsend, a true freshman, logged just 20 spring reps before a minor ankle sprain. Banks has leaned on Endries for mentorship, tasking him with film sessions and extra blocking drills. “He’s the vet now,” Banks said. “Those freshmen look to him like I looked to legends back in my playing days.” Endries embraced it, telling SI.com in September, “Cal taught me to grind as a walk-on. Now, it’s about lifting these guys—Spencer, Jordan, Emaree. We’re building something special here.”

Sarkisian’s schematic tweaks further highlight Endries’ centrality. The 2025 offense projects more motion and play-action, using tight ends in bunches to counter SEC defenses loaded with edge rushers like Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer. In 12-personnel (used 35% of snaps in 2024), expect Endries-Washington pairings to flood zones, with Shannon flexing out as a slot receiver. Data from Pro Football Focus shows Sark’s tight ends generated 22% of YAC last year; Endries’ 4.8 yards-after-catch average at Cal fits perfectly, especially alongside Manning’s quick release (2.41 seconds time-to-throw, fastest in the SEC). Offseason analytics also point to “untapped upside” in screen games, where Sark schemed Helm for 180 YAC yards. Endries, critiqued for elusiveness at Cal, could explode in Austin’s spacing concepts. “The gap between Cal’s OC and Sark? Night and day,” a Bears assistant anonymously told Burnt Orange Nation. “Jack’s routes will pop here.”

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Endries embodies the cultural shift Sarkisian has cultivated. Texas’ 2025 roster blends portal vets (Endries, Mosley) with blue-chippers (five-star WR Parker Livingstone, edge Colin Simmons), but success hinges on buy-in. Endries, who walked on at Cal amid roster crunches, preaches resilience. In a July team meeting, he shared his portal journey—fielding calls from Michigan and USC before choosing Texas for its “title vibe.” His leadership has steadied the room; Washington credited him for a “mental reset” after spring struggles, while Winston called him “big bro” on social media. This intangibility matters in a rebuild where 10 major offensive contributors departed, per Cooper Manning’s pointed critique. “You’ve got to replace ’em, not just reload,” the elder Manning said. Endries is the bridge.

As September 19, 2025, marks the eve of Week 3—Texas sits 2-0 after gritty wins over Ohio State (24-21) and San Jose State (42-10), with Endries logging eight catches for 112 yards and a score—the narrative sharpens. Against UTEP tomorrow, he’ll face a Miner defense allowing 7.2 yards per pass attempt, a chance to assert dominance before SEC gauntlet. Early film shows him sealing edges on CJ Baxter’s 65-yard TD run, a nod to his inline blocking (PFF grade: 78.2 at Cal). Critics wondered if he’d adjust to SEC physicality; two games in, he’s graded 82.4 overall, per early metrics. “He’s our rock,” Manning said post-Buckeyes. “Throws to him feel easy.”

Looking ahead, Endries’ arc could define Texas’ ceiling. A Pro Bowl trajectory awaits if he nears 700 yards, fueling Manning’s Heisman push and a playoff return. But the rebuild’s fragility looms: one injury, and Washington (projected 25% snap share) must accelerate. Winston and Townsend, with combined zero college snaps, represent the future, but Endries is the now—mentoring, producing, stabilizing. In a program chasing its first title since 2005, his step-up isn’t just timely; it’s transformative. As Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium roars tomorrow, watch No. 87: the transfer who’s rebuilding more than depth. He’s rebuilding belief.