The NFL Combine is a notoriously rough process, but none have endured a rougher process in 2025 than Texas football prospect Gunnar Helm. During the tight end's workouts ahead of the NFL Draft, Helm suffered a serious ankle injury while running the 40-yard dash.

In his first attempt, Helm was stopped for a false start, causing him to make a misstep in the sand. Initially, nothing was made of it, as he went through with the drill with two official attempts and completed the remainder of the process. However, after getting an MRI later in the day, Helm discovered he had sprained his ankle and shared photos of the injury to Ian Rapoport.

Helm recorded the third-worst 40-yard dash time of the tight end prospects at the Combine with a 4.84 time. He also finished the 10-yard split in 1.69 seconds, the three-cone drill in 7.15 seconds and the 20-yard shuffle in 4.4 seconds. He also recorded a 30-inch vertical jump. Helm was never known for his athleticism or speed, but the results were still fairly discouraging before adding the context of the injury.

After two lackluster years at Texas, Helm broke through as a senior in 2024, recording 60 catches for 786 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He was quarterback Quinn Ewers' second-leading receiver on the year behind star wideout Isaiah Bond.

Texas football prospects post up-and-down NFL Combine results

Related Texas Football NewsArticle continues below
Michigan defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan celebrates 13-10 win over Ohio State at Ohio Stadium
4-star S ‘very high’ on Michigan football
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore hugs Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after 31-12 loss at Michigan Stadium
Michigan football competing with Georgia, Texas for 4-star S
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shown during the Georgia Spring game at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia football, Kirby Smart now pursuing NFL legend’s son with new offer
Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm (85) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Gunnar Helm is one of 14 Texas football prospects invited to the 2025 pre-draft NFL Combine. Ewers and Bond also received invites, while Jaydon Blue, Matthew Golden, Kelvin Banks Jr., Cameron Williams, Hayden Conner and Jake Majors joined them from the offense. The Longhorns' defensive prospects include Jahdae Barron, Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins, Barryn Sorrell and Andrew Mukuba.

Some of the players, particularly Golden, have raised their respective draft stocks with impressive turnouts thus far. Golden's 4.29 40-yard dash time led all players in 2025. Ewers, Barron and Majors also recorded particularly impressive numbers.

However, a handful of others disappointed with their results. Most notably, Bond ran his 40-yard dash in just 4.39 seconds after telling reporters he would break the record with a 4.20 time. His official result is still one of the fastest of the eligible prospects, but Bond set unreasonably high expectations for himself that were not met.

While mock drafts vary, Texas is expected to see multiple prospects taken in the first round. Banks, Williams and Barron are all expected to hear their names called early. In a relatively weak receiver class, Golden could also slip into the end of the first round.