All-American Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger headed to the NFL
Texas A&M consensus All-American tight end Jace Sternberger will enter the NFL draft.
Sternberger, a junior from Kingfisher, Oklahoma, announced on Tuesday morning that he would forgo his senior season. The news comes the morning after Texas A&M’s Monday night 52-13 win over NC State in the Gator Bowl.
Sternberger’s departure will leave A&M inexperienced in 2019 at the position that is so vital in A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s system. The Aggies will return sophomores Glenn Beal and Camron Horry and are adding freshmen Baylor Cupp and Jalen Wydermyer, both highly regarded tight end recruits.
Sternberger, the first A&M recruit in the Fisher era, was a godsend to the Aggies in his only season in College Station.
He began his collegiate career at Kansas then transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college for his sophomore year.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder then signed with A&M and immediately began demonstrating that he would be a significant addition.
Sternberger’s first catch in the A&M spring game drew a roar from the crowd, eager for the reemergence of the tight end position, and he earned the Most Valuable Player award for the game. He then opened the season with five catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-7 victory over Northwestern State.
He went on to make 47 catches for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season. He had only one catch for 28 yards in the Gator Bowl as Trayveon Williams stole the show for the Aggies, but his reception started a second quarter scoring drive and seemed to ignite a sluggish Aggie offense.
Sternberger was named All-Southeastern Conference and was chosen for the Walter Camp, Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America All-American football teams.