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Former Texas TE Gunnar Helm Emerging as One of the Biggest Bright Spots in NFL Preseason Play

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 3:25 PM ET

Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm finished second on the team, with 786 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Helm finished with the sixth-most receiving yards among tight ends last season. The only players with more yards were Ball State Cardinals' Tanner Koziol (839), MTSU Blue Raiders Holden Willis (871), Syracuse Orange's Oronde Gadsen II (934), Penn State Nittany Lion s' Tyler Warren (1,233) and Bowling Green Falcons' Harold Fannin Jr. (1,554).

The Tennessee Titans selected Helm in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has been performing well as of late.

PFF ranked him as the highest graded day three rookie in Week 3 of the preseason, at a 90.2.

Helm's competition was Kansas City Chiefs receiver Brashard Smith (88.6), Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Elijah Roberts (88.6), Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (82.5) and Titans receiver Elic Ayomanor (81.7).

The former Texas tight end had a big role in the Titans' 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons, catching a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brandon Allen. Helm finished the game with 48 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Texas is pursuing more receiving talent to fill the hole t hat Helm left in Austin. The Longhorns are going after Tre Moore, who is the No. 2 wideout from the state of Texas in the 2027 class.

He is a native of Pflugerville, Texas, and attends Weiss High School.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian is attempting to take his program to a third-straight College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, after reaching the semifinal round in 2024 and 2023. ESPN believes not only will Sarkisian do that, but that Texas will win the national title over the Clemson Tigers.

Time will tell how the season unfolds for the Longhorns.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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