UT's Sanders, Majors named to preseason award watch lists

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and center Jake Majors have been named to award watch lists at their respective positions.

Sanders was named to the John Mackey Award watch list after his outstanding season catching the ball for the Longhorns in 2022. Sanders piled up 613 yards on 54 receptions with five touchdowns to each a first-team all-Big 12 selection. His 54 catches were the most by a tight end in Texas program history.

The Mackey Award is given out by The Friends of John Mackey to honor the most outstanding tight end in college football. Mackey is an NFL Hall of Fame tight end who played 10 seasons for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers. Mackey caught 331 passes and notched 5,236 yards with 38 touchdowns in his career. He was the Colts' No. 2 draft pick out of Syracuse in 1963.

Majors was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list by its selection committee. The Rimington Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding center in college football every year, and the selection committee's methodology is unique. It uses the Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America All-America results to give the trophy to the center with the most first-team votes on all three teams. If there's a tie, the player with the most second-team votes gets the trophy.

Majors, a junior from Prosper, has made 27 consecutive starts at center for the Longhorns.