Quick hitters from Steve Sarkisian’s appearance at the Houston Touchdown Club
A few quick notes from when Steve Sarkisian addressed the big room at the Houston Touchdown Club.
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Make sure to check out our video from his session with the media.
-Sarkisian is adept and comfortable in these settings, something that a 12-2 season with a Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance helps. Sarkisian, who drove himself to the event, mentioned his players are off and that his coaches are on the road recruiting while he’s going on a short speaker series.
-At this same event two years ago, Sarkisian spoke about what he wanted the program to be and his vision for the program after a 5-7 season. He said “I was trying to speak things into existence about where our program would be… Now, it’s kind of like ‘okay, here we are.’”
-Sarkisian recapped the 2023 season for the crowd, which was larger than it was in year’s past at the Touchdown Club of Houston. He made sure to note Texas’ successes in Tuscaloosa ahead of the conference title and the CFP appearance.
-He praised a lot of the players who were critical parts of the Longhorns’ season and mentioned most of the players who were picked in the draft and received accolades didn’t sign up to play for Sark. He said it was a “huge deal” that players like Jahdae Barron, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Jonathon Brooks bought in and elevated the culture and set the table for what’s next for the Longhorns. Along the way, those players earned significant individual accolades.
-“The beauty of this group of leaders (is) now they have something to prove to their big brothers that just left.” Jake Majors, Kelvin Banks, Jaydon Blue, Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Jahdae Barron, Jaylon Guilbeau, Barryn Sorrell, and Ethan Burke were mentioned. “We’re going to be just fine. We’ve got a very good football team.”
-Sark mentioned the schedule Texas has for 2024, specifically matchups with the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines, Oklahoma and Georgia back to back, a perceived weak Florida team, and rival Texas A&M. Sarkisian was asked if players who haven’t been a part of the Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry would be able to get up for the in-state matchup. He said his team would have no problem.
-One thing he mentioned multiple times is that if a team plays in a national championship, they could play up to 17 games. He repeatedly mentioned the importance of depth and how crucial it is to rotate players early in the season so they aren’t totally lost if called upon in late-season situations.
-“We’re definitely excited about our team. I think it’s one that’s going to make you proud, but it’s going to be a heck of a journey and it’s going to be a different journey.”
-Recruiting and how visits work was the first question from the crowd. Sark repeated the pitch he often gives to prospects about not just the program and the university, but also the city of Austin. He mentioned making sure they tailor pitches about the city of Austin properly to each recruit. Sarkisian also made sure to note that he views it as essential to get a recruit on campus at least three times in order to feel like they have a chance.
-The ins and outs of the spring game was next. Sarkisian got to enjoy that one from behind the line of scrimmage and saw first-stringers through fourth-stringers/walk-ons make competitive plays. Ryan Wingo’s successes, Isaiah Bond’s home run, and Reece Beauchamp’s tough catch were highlighted. As he typically does, competitiveness was focused on and repeated as a necessary element to his team.
-He went into detail about how fit is just as important as how high a player is picked when it comes to the NFL draft. He went into great detail about Jordan Whittington, Ryan Watts, and Jaylan Ford about they have great respective fits with the Rams, Steelers, and Saints. He also made sure to note that Xavier Worthy and Bryon Murphy as first-round picks were great successes for the program. The other six selections were also mentioned.
-Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, plus Trey Owens, were discussed as part of an answer to a question posed by Mattress Mack. He explained that Ewers’ status as a third-year starter, Manning as a redshirt freshman, and Owens as a true freshman is a plus, but so too is every player making sure to work on what they need to work on. Sarkisian said Ewers “drops his ego at the door.”
-Team speed was one curiosity from the crowd. Put simply, “it’s a lot easier to score the faster you get to the end zone.” Essentially, two- or three-play drives have fewer opportunities for failure than a sustained 10-play drive.
-Secondary was asked about (and not by Kirk Bohls) and Sarkisian went player by player explaining that he has a lot of versatility in the defensive backfield. He continued to praise Malik Muhammad as on the cusp of a great season.
-There was a question about officiating…
-A name on offense to track? Tre Wisner. “He had a heck of a freshman year… and when he got his opportunity to rush the ball at the end of the Tech game you could see some of his style right there.” And on defense? Trey Moore. “He’s going to be a real problem, he’s going to be a guy to watch this fall.”
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-Last question was about O-line, where he said they had more depth than at any other position on the team. He talked about all the returners and noted Cameron Williams had a great spring and is ready to step in for Christian Jones. “I think we’re going to be good there for some years to come.”
