Steve Sarkisian shares challenges of teaching young players in spring ball

Spring practice gives every coaching staff their first look at their roster and, specifically, a team’s new pieces. Still, as exciting as some of the new young talent can be, they can also be equally as maddening at times as they try to learn the ropes of college football. For Steve Sarkisian, he says it’s something the Longhorns are currently dealing with on a player-by-player basis.

Sarkisian spoke on the slow growth he’s seeing early on at Texas during his press conference on Thursday. He says all their young, or at least new, prospects are trying to pick everything up across the board while also hammering out the habits they’ve been used to previous to arriving in Austin.

“I think it varies from player to player. I think that, for some guys, it just happens quicker than others,” Sarkisian said. “Whether it’s understanding scheme, whether it’s understanding effort, whether it’s understanding physicality, whether it’s understanding discipline within the play and what their responsibility is. Whether it’s understanding multiple spots. Because we’re trying to figure guys out, what they’re best at, and what they can do in all three phases. So I hate to lump them all into one.”

“There are some guys that have been a little bit difficult. But, probably, that’s mostly because they had really good coaches. And they coach something a certain way, a scheme a certain way. When it becomes a habit, sometimes those are harder to break,” added Sarkisian. “But, inevitably, I think we have to have some caution when saying every guy is that way.”

Sarkisian and the Longhorns have 29 new additions on their hands down on The 40 Acres. Four of those at least have college experience as they come to Texas via the transfer portal. The other 25, as talented as they may be, are freshmen from their 2023 recruiting class.

Now, Sarkisian and his staff are just doing what they can to learn about their players while their players try to do the same thing with them. This will obviously get easier as they become more accommodated with one another. Until then, though, it’s all about working through the growing pains in order to find out what’s best for each player and, in turn, the team as a whole.

“We have to look at each new player individually and ask what do they need from us? How do they learn? As much as they’re learning what we do, how we do, and why we do?,” Sarkisian asked. “We’re learning them too and how to push the right buttons to keep them motivated. How to push the right buttons so they can learn the best way they can. And then, ultimately, put them in the best position to have success so that they can build their confidence and continue to grow.”