Steve Sarkisian shares how Marcus Washington can take next step

Steve Sarkisian wants to see Marcus Washington take the next step at Texas in 2020. In a media availability earlier this week, Sarkisian detailed what Washington can do to advance his career with the Longhorns.

“I think Marcus, you know, one thing I love about him — he loves football,” started Sarkisian. “That guy plays hard. I know you guys don’t ever like to talk about it, but special teams wise, that guy was a tremendous player for us. Early on in the year, he created a lot of value for himself. A, on special teams. And B, kind of as a blocker in the run game, and on the perimeter stuff. His commitment to doing that. That’s not always the sexiest thing to do when you’re a receiver. But by doing that, he kind of earned our trust to do more, and to play more.

“You know, when we lost Jordan in OU, he kind of stepped in, and he was comfortable in the slot. And he was comfortable outside. He made some big plays for us. Like anything, for Marcus, for him to grow and take it to the next level, and I know I say this a lot, but consistency, right? Consistency catching the ball. Being where you’re supposed to be. You know, maybe not taking some penalties, because he’s so aggressive. He got a couple of holding penalties on the perimeter. So, all those things — it’s just the consistency of playing with the effort that he can play with, but then making his play when the opportunity comes. And so, that’s drill work. That’s ball work. That’s fundamentals. That’s technique.

“But it’s never about the want-to with Marcus, man. His intent — he brings it everyday. It shows. I think he’s earned a lot of the respect of his teammates by the way he attacks special teams, and attacks kind of the dirty work at the receiver position. Not just catching the go-balls, and the touchdowns and things like that.”

Last season, Washington set new career highs for all receiving statistics for himself at Texas. However, he still only caught 18 passes. Evidently, he’s hoping to be more involved as the 2022 season approaches.

As Steve Sarkisian enters his second season at Texas, Marcus Washington could be a breakout wide receiver to watch for the Longhorns. It’s evident the coach has a lot of love for him, but we’ll see if it can translate to more success on the field.