A two-time first-team All-Big 12 tight end at Texas, Ja'Tavion Sanders became Carolina's fourth-round answer at a position that needed a pass-catching upgrade.
Ja'Tavion Sanders arrived in Carolina as a receiving-focused tight end after a standout run at Texas, where he was the highest tight end the program had produced in years. He earned an every-down role as a rookie and was building on that in his second season before a late-year injury cut his 2025 campaign short.
Path to the league
Sanders played three seasons at Texas from 2021 to 2023, catching 99 passes for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns over his final two years and earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in both 2022 and 2023. The Panthers selected him in the fourth round, 101st overall, of the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the first Texas tight end drafted since Geoff Swaim in 2015 and the earliest one since Jermichael Finley in 2008.
Career highlights
As a rookie in 2024, Sanders played in all 16 games with eight starts, catching 33 passes for 342 yards and scoring his first NFL touchdown in Week 10 against the New York Giants. He quickly became a featured target in Carolina's offense, pairing his size at 6-foot-4 with the route-running instincts of a former receiver.
2025 season recap
Sanders opened 2025 as Carolina's primary tight end, appearing in 13 games with five starts and catching 29 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. His season ended early when he was placed on injured reserve on December 31 after fracturing his fibula.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ja'Tavion Sanders
- ESPN: Ja'Tavion Sanders
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
13 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | panthers | 13 | 29 | 190 | 6.6 | 1 | 18 |
| 2024 | panthers | 16 | 33 | 342 | 10.4 | 1 | 46 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Texas
- Hometown
- Denton, TX, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
