LIVE UPDATES: Steve Sarkisian discusses his top-five 2024 class on national signing day
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will be available to the media Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. to officially discuss the Longhorns’ No. 4 recruiting class. The press conference will be available on Longhorn Network as well as TexasSports.com
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Live updates from Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian: “Back at it now practice wise. Today was practice No. 3 this week. Really good, intense practice. Full padded. Guys were working. We’ve got two more this week before we take a little bit of a break, and the beauty of it for us is the health. I think those two weeks really helped us.”
Steve Sarkisian: “Clearly, receiver was a position where we wanted to address and we may not be done there yet. To have four receivers in this class — three high school and a transfer — I think is big for us.”
Steve Sarkisian highlights how versatile his six-man defensive back class is.
Steve Sarkisian also praises depth from the additions of Zina Umeozulu, Colin Simmons, Melvin Hills, D’Antre Robinson, and Alex January.
Steve Sarkisian: “I don’t think we’re quite done yet. I think we’ll have a couple things to go here over the next day or two, and then as the portal shakes itself out you never know what happens there.”
Steve Sarkisian says that his defensive back class has size, length, and the ability to play man coverage whether at safety, star, or corner.
Steve Sarkisian: “When we go to the portal, we’re trying to fill immediate needs.”
Steve Sarkisian says Matthew Golden and Andrew Mukuba are both experienced, productive players who have played a lot of football: “When you get to visit and talk to them, they’re made of the right stuff.”
Steve Sarkisian on his defensive tackle class, says Melvin Hills was a leader on his LCA team. Mentions Alex January at 6-5, 320 has impressive hand-eye coordination and foot coordination thanks to his multi-sport background — “We think this guy’s got huge upside.” On D’antre Robinson, points to one-handed touchdown classes as evidence of athleticism.
Steve Sarkisian on Matthew Golden: “Two things we were looking for in the portal at the receiver position was one, obviously, an experienced playmaker on the outside who was physical enough to play out there.” Says Golden has good length and is put together, and mentions they wanted value in special teams in their search in the portal. — “We’re finding more than just a one-tool player.”
Steve Sarkisian: “Our players are developing, and I think we’ll see when the NFL draft comes around this year more of our guys (are) getting drafted into the NFL.”
Steve Sarkisian says they may have up to 20 new players on the roster when they start school.
Steve Sarkisian on Andrew Mukuba: “We’re getting a player who has for three years been a front-line starter at Clemson, and has been playing football at a high level for a very good program, one that I have a ton of respect for, for Coach Swinney and the job they do at Clemson.”
Steve Sarkisian on the national scale of recruiting, says kids from Texas, Florida, California, and all over are willing to leave the state. Also mentions 7-on-7 opening opportunities for kids to see schools. Notes that summer visits where they aren’t up against a game at 11 a.m. helps them get more quality time and create more opportunities to connect for prospects.
Steve Sarkisian: “For all of our guys that had to go in the portal prior to us playing in the College Football Playoff, I think it sucks. I hate it for them. They put in a lot of hard work. These guys since January have been busting their tails with our team with winter conditioning, spring practice, summer workouts, fall training camp, all season long, whatever their role was whether they were a part time player, a scout team player, or a backup, they still committed a lot to this program and for them not to have the ability to see that through, I hate that for them.”
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Casey Cain, Larry Turner-Gooden, and Sawyer Goram-Welch are still with the team through the College Football Playoff, per Steve Sarkisian.
Steve Sarkisian says Xavier Worthy, Ryan Watts, and Austin Jordan “were practicing today and all of them looked really good to me. Are they all quite 100 percent? I don’t know. I know they look fast. They were running around. That’s a real positive, knowing we still have two weeks to the ballgame. I think everything’s trending the right way on that front, and they were going. That part’s good. I think everybody will be available for the ballgame, and we’re fortunate on that. We should be having a month. We should be able to get everybody back.”
Steve Sarkisian: “Those billboards are awesome, by the way.”
Steve Sarkisian: “I don’t know that the calendar we have right now is perfect, quite frankly. I think we may have to really look at an earlier signing period for some of these kids that took their visit in the summer.”
Steve Sarkisian said the team’s cumulative fall GPA was 2.94.
Steve Sarkisian said he saw Parker Livingstone play in-person versus Melissa, and notes that “he will run away from you in a hurry.”
Steve Sarkisian says Ryan Wingo is 6-2, 205 with great length and elite speed.
Steve Sarkisian says Trey Owens “has been very impressive to us over the last two years. We have been watching him. We had him in camp. We’ve watched him grow, watched him play really good football. Had an excellent senior season.” — “The guy is a heck of a player.”
Steve Sarkisian said in his scouting report on Christian Clark, he wrote “Bijan Robinson?” Says he has great balance, body control, and is a systematic fit.
Steve Sarkisian says Jerrick Gibson is a physical runner and a home run hitter.
Steve Sarkisian says when watching Brandon Baker, “I feel like I’m watching Kelvin Banks all over again.”
Steve Sarkisian says Kobe Black is a “three position player,” and brings a lot of versatility to the Texas defensive backfield.
Steve Sarkisian on Jordan Washington: “He’s got the ability to stretch the field vertically. He can make all the plays. The passing tree is unlimited for him.”
Letters of intent received
Jerrick Gibson, RB, Gainesville (Fla.) IMG Academy: Get to know Gibson on national signing day
Michael Kern, P, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas: Get to know Kern on national signing day
Trey Owens, QB, Cypress (Texas) Cy-Fair: Get to know Owens on national signing day
Parker Livingstone, WR, Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy: Get to know Livingstone on national signing day
Xavier Filsaime, DB, McKinney (Texas): Get to know Filsaime on national signing day
Melvin Hills, DT, Lafayette (La.) Christian Academy: Get to know Hills on national signing day
Nate Kibble, OL, Humble (Texas) Atascocita: Get to know Kibble on national signing day
Colin Simmons, EDGE, Duncanville (Texas): Get to know Simmons on national signing day
Zina Umeozulu, EDGE, Allen (Texas): Get to know Umeozulu on national signing day
Jordan Washington, TE, Houston (Texas) Langham Creek: Get to know Washington on national signing day
Kobe Black, CB, Waco (Texas) Connally: Get to know Black on national signing day
Wardell Mack, DB, Marrero (La.) John Ehret: Get to know Mack on national signing day
Freddie Dubose, WR, San Antonio (Texas) Smithson Valley: Get to know Dubose on national signing day
Jordon Johnson-Rubell, S, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy: Get to know Johnson-Rubell on national signing day
D’antre Robinson, DT, Orlando (Fla.) Jones: Get to know Robinson on national signing day
Daniel Cruz, OL, North Richland Hills (Texas) Richland: Get to know Cruz on national signing day
Alex January, DT, Duncanville (Texas): Get to know January on national signing day
Christian Clark, RB, Phoenix (Ariz.) Mountain Pointe: Get to know Clark on national signing day
Santana Wilson, DB, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain: Get to know Wilson on national signing day
Brandon Baker, OT, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei: Get to know Baker on national signing day
Ryan Wingo, WR, St. Louis (Mo.) University High: Get to know Wingo on national signing day
Matthew Golden, WR, Houston
Andrew Mukuba, DB, Clemson
