Friday night focus: Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young heads to Austin

Texas has faced its fair share of Heisman Trophy winners since the honor was first awarded to Chicago’s Jay Berwanger in 1935. From stars of the award’s early years like Davey O’Brien, Doak Walker, and John David Crow, to foes from this millennia like Jason White, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush*, and Troy Smith, to recent winners like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Joe Burrow, the Longhorns run into players who eventually win college football’s most prestigious individual honor on a regular basis.

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A Heisman winner heading to Austin? That’s something the Longhorn football program isn’t used to. Heisman campaigns have made stops at Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. But for the reigning winner to bring the hardware with him? That’s something that hasn’t happened in the long history of the Texas football program.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, will break that trend on Saturday. Young, who last year won the honor in a landslide over Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, arrives on the Forty Acres very familiar with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

While at Alabama, Sarkisian and Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban gained a commitment from Young, who attended Mater Dei High School in the Los Angeles area. Previously committed to USC, Young decided Tuscaloosa was the right place to showcase his talents. He waited behind Mac Jones for a year before taking the reins at the start of the 2021 season, a historic one in the history of Crimson Tide football.

Sarkisian was deeply involved in the process of bringing Young to the Alabama program, and had nothing but great things to say about him on Monday.

“I’ve known Bryce since he was literally in sixth grade,” Sarkisian said. “Proud of him and all that he’s accomplished in his time at Alabama. Heck of a player. He’s got a natural instinct of passing the football. He can feel things happen, and has a natural understanding of route combinations based on coverages. Then, he’s willing to cut it loose. On top of that, he’s very elusive.”

“He’s a former point guard in basketball. He’s got a real feel and sense for things going on around him, and he has innate ability to maneuver in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield, and make throws from off platform.”

Sarkisian said Monday that the Crimson Tide operate a pass-first offense because of Young’s capabilities. He mentioned Alabama wants to put the ball in his hands, especially considering the relative inexperience of the No. 1 team’s wide receiver corps.

After entering the 2021 season as a relative unknown, all of college football knows what Young can do on the field. Fellow Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard said Friday that because of his 2021 exploits, opposing teams know they have to limit No. 9 in crimson first and foremost.

“The target is always on his back now,” Howard said. “He’s a big target. Last year, people were trying to figure him out, but they didn’t really understand what Alabama had at the quarterback position. Mac Jones was the guy before him, then he moved on, so it was like ‘this kid seems to be kind of undersized, but he has a lot of talent.’ Now everyone knows what type of talent he has. The bullseye is bigger, and defenses understand exactly what he brings to the table as a quarterback.”

The last player Texas faced who eventually won the Heisman was LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019. Burrow finished his game in Austin 31-of-39 for 471 yards with four touchdowns, including a late game-winner, over just one interception.

That served as Burrow’s coming out party for the rest of the college football world as part of LSU’s historic 2019 season. Young differs in that he has already had his moment.

Texas hopes to stop Young from having another Heisman moment like Burrow’s in DKR on Friday. The Longhorns know it’ll be a tall task against Young, who recorded six total touchdowns in a week one trouncing of Utah State.

“He’s, I think, lived up to the billing and/or exceeded it,” Sarkisian said Thursday.