Texas tight end commitment Emaree Winston made his way to Austin this weekend to watch the Longhorns make easy work of UTSA. Though the game was a blowout, as expected, Winston said he came away impressed with the game day environment of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

“I think even though it was UTSA, the fans still acted like it was the Georgia game. It really stood out,” Winston said.

Speaking of Georgia, Winston plans to return to Austin in late October when the Longhorns host the Bulldogs. He’ll then be back for a third game when Florida comes to town on November 9.

A highlight of the season for Winston has been watching Gunnar Helm have success, including a hurdling 49-yard reception on Saturday night. Those two have gotten close over the course of Winston’s recruitment and Helm is hoping to follow in Helm’s footsteps.

“Me and Gunnar talk almost every week. I can (see myself in his role). I know I can do what they do. I know I’m going to do it the best I can, especially knowing I’m going to get my number (85) when Gunnar leaves,” Winston said.

Of course, watching Arch Manning put up huge stats also brought a smile to Winston’s face. Knowing he’ll be playing with team that’s loaded with quarterback talent gives Winston reason for confidence when he gets to Austin.

“Arch is good. There’s no other way around it,” Winston said. “I think if Quinn wasn’t there, he’d probably be the best quarterback in college football. After the game, we talked about the game. He just enjoyed it.”

Winston committed to Texas back in December of 2023. Despite that early decision, other programs have continued to recruit him and he did take other visits to places like Auburn and South Florida. Winston said for right now, he’s only focused on Texas and doesn’t have any other visits planned aside from the two trips to Austin.

“I haven’t really talked to anybody else. I’m just letting everything play out,” Winston said.

Out of Calhoun (GA), Winston hasn’t played yet this year as he works to get back to full strength after undergoing knee surgery in the summer. He’s hoping to be back in action in early October.

Ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Wilson is the nation’s No. 29-ranked tight end prospect.