Steve Sarkisian calls one of his newcomers 'cerebral and a team-first player' after day one of Texas fall camp

Steve Sarkisian calls one of his newcomers 'cerebral and a team-first player' after day one of Texas fall camp originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

Day one of fall camp is in the books in Austin, Tex., where temperatures were in the triple digits. Still, the Longhorns hit the ground running as the new-look team prepares for the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in 31 days.

Steve Sarkisian spoke with the media following practice and he was buzzing about several players' performances. One in particular is Cal tight end transfer, Jack Endries. The Texas coach called him "cerebral and a team-first player".

One of the newest players in the burnt orange, Endries is fresh off a fantastic 2024 campaign where he caught 56 passes for 623 yards and two touchdowns. As a redshirt freshman, he caught 35 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns.

Endries, who will be a redshirt junior in 2025, has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Last season, the Texas Longhorns leaned quite a bit on tight end Gunnar Helm.

After a modest couple seasons, the Tennessee Titans draft pick had a breakout season in 2024. He hauled in 60 receptions for 786 yards and seven touchdowns. Helm set school single-season records last year for receptions (60) and yards (786) by a Texas tight end.

Well, now he's gone and Sarkisian wet out west to California to find Arch Manning a safety blanket. The Longhorns head coach also noted he wants Endries "to do things the right way, especially when the offense is new to him".

Endries is a fantastic blend of a pass-catching tight end who can extend drives. He can also stick his nose in there and block for you on running and passing downs. The latter being crucial as Texas breaks in four new starters on the offensive line and a new quarterback under center.

I expect for Manning and Endries to continue to build chemistry as we count down to the season opener at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio August 30.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.