The Texas Longhorns fans might be living in the future. The reason? Steve Sarkisian and co. are now chasing a talented young chap to bolster their 2027 class. That’s none other than the No.1 quarterback Kavian Bryant. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound multi-sport athlete is hailed by the dominant programs. But turns out that Bryant “likes” Texas. However, Sarkisian’s present roster is calling for attention thanks to tight end Jack Endries.

Things have been going a bit slow in the Longhorns camp when it comes to the Arch Manning buzz. As DawgNation’s Kaylee Mansell said, “My bold take is Arch Manning does not make the Heisman Trophy ceremony.” While this might be upsetting for Sarkisian, Manning’s offensive partner, Endries, is enough to shift the mood. After all, he also got a Texas legend, Drew Kelson, rooting strongly for him. 

From one safety to a tight end, the support overflows. Kelson was in the the Longhorns camp from 2004-2007. Even though his golden era is over, it’s time for him to appreciate his successors. And Endries is worth celebrating. On August 8, On3 Sports’ Joe Cook tweeted the big update. It read, “Jack Endries named to the John Mackey Award watch list.” And Kelson could no longer keep his calm. Kelson retweeted the news and gave a big shoutout to Endries. “I played with Bo Scaife, David Thomas, and Jermichael Finley. I know what kinda hell a great tight end can cause. 😂 And each day I hear things convincing me Endries really is like that!” wrote the Texas legend.

He took the name of the Longhorns’ greats—Bo Scaife, whose 75 career catches for 997 yards are third and fourth, respectively, on Texas’ all-time tight end lists. Then comes David Thomas, the 2005 Rose Bowl winner, who holds the Longhorns’ tight end records for catches (98), receiving yards (1,367), and touchdown receptions (15). And how could anyone forget Jermichael Finley? A 2006 Honorable Mention Freshman All-American, he set Longhorns’ freshman records with 31 receptions for 372 yards and three TDs that year.

Endries is now compared to these greats. Thanks to Kelson. But is it sheer flattery or does Endries actually measure up to the legends’ calibre? The Mackey is given annually to college football’s outstanding tight end. Before Mackey, Endries was named to the Biletnikoff watch list. When it’s about Sarkisian’s Texas, the Longhorns have never had a Mackey Award winner. 

We have seen Gunnar Helm as the semifinalist last season, while Tyler Warren won the award. Can Sarkisian expect their Cal transfer, who arrived as a junior, to flip the script for them? Over the two years at California, Endries racked up 1031 yards and caught 91 passes. He was an honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2024 and All-America honors (College Football News) in 2023. Not just the legends, even Endries’ present coaches are singing in high praise.

Jack Endries could be Texas’ go-to weapon to catalyze Arch Manning’s rise 

Endries has passed the quality check by Texas Tight ends coach Jeff Banks. He said, “Jack Endries gives us a proven pass receiver and then he gives us a physical blocker in the box that’s not necessarily the biggest guy. That’s what we were looking for in the transfer portal. (A guy) that could mesh with our team and fit our offense. When we saw him play at Cal, he was sliding back, he was inserting, he was doing a lot of things that we do in the run game. Then you see him vertically get past defenders, and you’re like, ‘sweet, we’ve got a big time pass receiver that can block.” Hold on. 

The head coach, too, had some good reviews about Endries. Sarkisian shared after the Longhorns’ first practice on July 30, “Jack [Endries] is a cerebral guy, and he wants to do things right, which I appreciate about him…he was definitely in the front and made a couple of really nice plays for us today.” The one-time walk-on emerged as the go-to threat for Cal last season. It’s now time for Endries to usher in the Manning era. 

After all, he perfectly blends the skills of a pass-catching tight end, capable of keeping drives alive with crucial third-down grabs. At 6’4″ and 240 pounds, he doesn’t mind sticking his nose in there and is a reliable customer when it comes to blocking on running and passing plays. And it’s no secret that the latter is vital, considering Texas is bringing in four new starters on the offensive line and a fresh new quarterback. And given how injuries and inconsistency plagued them last season, run blocking should not be too low on the priority list either. What’s even better is that Endries and Arch Manning are gelling quite well, too. This might be a big boost for the quarterback, who is already catching side eyes. Endries might turn Manning’s Heisman dream into a Texas-sized reality.