Fresh Faces on the Forty: Michigan State TE Michael Masunas
We have covered the three “crown jewels” of the class thus far, but today it’s about an underrated pickup. Michael Masunas makes his way to Austin by way of East Lansing , where he spent three seasons as a Spartan. Masunas did not light up the stat sheet, only totaling 23 catches for 269 yards and 3 TDs through his final two seasons. The place where Masunas is a difference maker is as a blocker, especially in the run game, which is music to Longhorn fan’s ears.
2025 Stats:19 catches, 232 yards(12.2 yards per catch), 3 TDs
The addition of Masunas came as something of a surprise, considering most were expecting Texas to prioritize a pass catching threat at TE. To me, that shows two things: 1. The Texas staff is very confident Nick Townsend and Emaree Winston can fill the pass catching role and 2. They feel the TE needs to help more in pass and run blocking. Both of those are absolutely correct in my eyes. Between Masunas, Spencer Shannon , Townsend and Wintston, the versatility and depth at TE is much improved from 2025.
Of 421 plays Masunas played in 2025, he lined up inline 375 times. That gives Texas the ability to add him to either side of the line to help Trevor Goosby or Melvin Siani in pass protection. Masunas stands at 6’5”, 260lbs which gives him more ability to handle defensive ends 1-on-1, a very rare thing for TEs. Masunas gives Texas essentially a 6th OL on the field, not to mention Spencer Shannon who does the same.
The blocking is the headline for Masunas, but that’s not to say he can’t make some noise in the pass game. He’s really athletic for his size and the unique thing about the Texas TE room is all four options can block at a high level. That gives Texas the ability to mix and match the TE groups without losing any playcalls. They could run Townsend and Masunas out there and while Townsend gets attention, Masunas is streaking down the sideline wide open.
This addition is one I feel is being slightly overlooked. I can’t promise he will light up the stat sheet but he’s going to be consistent in the blocking game, something I’d argue is more important in the Longhorns offense. Texas won’t have a Gunnar Helm this season, but they will have four, well-rounded TEs that give them elite versatility out of 12 personnel(1 RB, 2 TEs).
As the Longhorns portal pursuits come to an end, the concerns about the offense line continue to linger. It’s hard to subside all those worries before that Ohio State game in Week 2, but having four strong blocking TEs can help the issue. Masunas and Spencer Shannon can be road graters blocking, while still dangerous in the pass game. Townsend and Winston can flash their elite athleticism in the pass game while still giving positive reps blocking.
The Masunas addition didn’t jump off the page, but it could be as important as any offensive addition the Longhorns made. Tomorrow, it’s the player that answered more questions than any other portal addition, Wake Forest OT Melvin Siani.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas Football transfer profile: Get to know MSU TE Michael Masunas
