Steve Sarkisian shares how he makes recruits feel at home at Texas

As he works to put Texas football back on top of the college football world, Steve Sarkisian must recruit talent from all areas of the country. But in the process, Sarkisian is tasked with convincing players to leave their home state and come to Texas. While some college players could get homesick in that process, Sarkisian believes he and his staff have generated a strong home feeling with the team.

“I think we really have a great connection with our players,” Sarkisian said. “I think our assistant coaches do a great job, I think our support staff does a great job. But I think the most important piece of it is I think our locker room does a great job of really bringing these guys in, putting their arms around them and not just rubbing their neck.

“We’re demanding and pushing them to be the best they can be. But in the end, when there’s Thanksgiving, everybody’s at the house. We’re getting ready to go to a bowl game; we’re going to be in San Antonio for Christmas. Our doors are open Friday, we’re having a Christmas meal at our house Friday, we’re having a Christmas dinner in San Diego as a team on Sunday. But that’s got to be 365. That can’t just be the special occasion days. We’ve got to make that connection with our players on a daily basis and really dig into it.”

The 2023 recruiting class was a strong indication of just how far Texas reaches out in its recruiting process. While the Longhorns landed in-state talent like Anthony Hill and Johntay Cook II, they also reached outside of the state of Texas. The class is led by Louisiana native Arch Manning at quarterback. Texas also landed five-star Cedric Baxter Jr. out of Orlando and four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. out of California, among others.

Whether they are from within the state or outside of it, these recruits are looking to help put Texas back on the top of the college football mountain. The Longhorns went 5-7 last year, Sarkisian’s first year as head coach, but took a step forward by going 8-4 this year and earning a spot in the Alamo Bowl.

Texas has won 10 or more games just one time since the 2010 season. The Longhorns are hoping Sarkisian can return them back to that consistent bar once again.