Texas TE Emaree Winston had a breakout game against Ohio State

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AUSTIN, Texas — Down 20 points to the Ohio State Buckeyes late in the third quarter, the chances at an improbable hung in the balance for the Texas Longhorns facing a 4th and 9 in their own territory.

With the Buckeyes using freshman defensive end Khary Wilder lined up over fifth-year center Connor Robertson, Wilder won quickly, flushing senior quarterback Arch Manning out of the pocket to his right at a full sprint, reducing Manning’s options with fifth-year running back Raleek Brown as his check down now on the oposite side of the field.

Manning did spot one target, sophomore tight end Emaree Winston, working back over the middle on an out route with a return and slung the football across his body as Wilder tracked him down.

The only problem with the accurate delivery? Winston caught the ball well short of the chains, but his situational and spatial awareness allowed him to turn up the field quickly to secure the five extra yards he needed to move the chains.

“Emaree just happened to be there. He had about five and a half, six yards to go after he made that catch, and his ability to plant his foot, get vertical, and not dance around — for a younger player, I thought that was great situational awareness. He knew it was fourth down, knew he had to go get the first down, and he barely got it. Huge play,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday.

Winston played 27 snaps against the Buckeyes, one less than his career high set against the Bobcats in the opener, in part because fellow sophomore tight end Nick Townsend suffered a knee injury on punt coverage in the third quarter, forcing Winston into action late in the game.

Before the game was over, Winston recorded two more catches, a 21-yard gain on the same drive on and eight-yard reception on 2nd and 10 on the final drive to set up a manageable third down, finishing the game with a career-high 38 receiving yards.

“I always knew Amari was a gamer. He practices really hard. He’s a stud, and I’m proud of the way he came in and did his thing and I think he’ll continue to do that as we go along the season,” Manning said.

Sarkisian considers the 6’1, 245-pounder an elite route runner and Manning said his 10-inch hands are some of the best on the team. As a recruit, Winston’s ball skills classified as high level for his position, the benefit of his basketball experience translating to football.

It wasn’t a flawless performance, as Winston was credited with two drops, which Manning called “uncharacteristic,” but the Georgia product credited his teammates with keeping his head up after the mistakes to keep him in the game.

“That’ll fade away,” Manning said of the drops.

In addition to playing a short-yardage role as a fullback, lining up in the I formation on the final two touchdown drives as Texas punched the ball over the goal line, an issue for Sarkisian and the Longhorns over the last several seasons, Winston is also developing a role as an insert blocker.

The versatile role Winston is growing into is what tight ends coach Jeff Banks envisioned when Winston signed with the Longhorns as a member of the 2025 recruiting class, anticipating “Swiss Army knife” usage for Winston when he spoke with Burnt Orange Nation at the Peach Bowl, citing how the San Francisco 49ers use fullbacks in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme as a blueprint for Winston.

Before outgrowing the position, Winston was a 5’10, 220-pound running back, “a little ball,” much like former Texas standout defensive tackle Byron Murphy, leading to his recruitment as a coveted tight end.

The second pledge in the 2025 recruiting class after quarterback KJ Lacey, Winston committed to Texas in late 2023 over offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Missouri, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, USC, and Wisconsin, among others.

It’s an impressive group of schools considering the hit that Winston’s lack of prototypical size for the tight end position delivered to his recruiting rankings — the Georgia product finished the cycle as a consensus three-star prospect ranked as the No. 606 player nationally and the No. 32 tight end, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

“Texas is just a great feeling. Coach Sark, he knows how to use all his players. I would say tight end with motions, getting you open,” Winston said of why he committed to Texas. “The place, the city, you can’t beat it. You can’t beat being here. And then the atmosphere, that game just told me, like, you made the right choice. You’re in the right spot.”

Winston certainly was in the right spot when the Longhorns needed him the most, and it probably won’t be the last time.

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