Who could be the leaders on the 2025 Texas Longhorns? Steve Sarkisian named a few

The 2024 Texas Longhorns had players like Kelvin Banks, Jahdae Barron, Quinn Ewers, Gunnar Helm, and Jake Majors as some of the primary leaders. That group, and others that helped to guide the Horns during their first season in the SEC, all have played their final games in Longhorn uniforms. While it may be a stretch to say there is a leadership void, it does mean that Steve Sarkisian needs a number of players to take on new leadership roles for the 2025 team.

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That’s not a process that started when the 2024 season came to a close. In fact, it was a process that began before some of the stars on the 2025 Longhorns even suited up for Texas. During an appearance on 3rd and Longhorn, Sarkisian said the search for his program’s next generation of leaders starts in high school.

“How do we get to those guys? I go back to the recruiting piece,” Sarkisian said. “You can get an idea of who guys are going to become as they start to mature and as they start to grow. All I try to do is empower them. I try to put them in position to become leaders. So many times, we’re like ‘now it’s your turn, go lead.’ Most of us don’t know how to. We don’t know what to do. Tell a guy to put his hand behind the line? What do you mean?”

Sarkisian discusses how it’s a difficult process for a player to learn how to hold his teammates and friends accountable, but it’s one that is important for the growth of a program.

“It’s a fun process because you see the growth and the development,” Sarkisian said. “We say development and we always think on the field and how much bigger and faster a guy got. I look at how they matured and who they’re going to become as men. You can see it happening before our eyes every day in our locker room.”

So who were some of the names Sarkisian mentioned? The structure of the interview made naming dozens of players difficult, but the ones he did name were notable.

Michael Taaffe

“The first guy that jumps out is Michael Taaffe. He’s got an incredible story. The guy comes here as a walk-on. All he did was earn his stripes. Finds his way onto the field as a part time special teamer then a part timer on defense. Then he finally wins the starting job and is an All-American. He decides to come back and be a leader on this team because he said ‘I came here to win a national championship.’ Who’s a better spokesman?”

Arch Manning

“I do think inevitably Arch will be a great spokesman for us because why did he choose to come here, and the leadership he provides.”

Cedric Baxter, Quintrevion Wisner

“Cedric Baxter is phenomenal. The whole season he was out you could feel his leadership. On the same token, I’m going to point and look right at Tre Wisner and I don’t know if we have a better leader on our team than Tre Wisner right now. I just watched him again at our workout we had this morning, the energy he provides, the positivity he brings every day.”

DeAndre Moore, Ryan Wingo

“Then I look over and there’s DeAndre Moore and Ryan Wingo. In their own rights, great leaders.”

Again, not an exhaustive list, but a number of exciting players including two No. 16s, two RBs, and two WRs.

Texas has put 25 players into the last two NFL drafts. Those great talents leaving also means that great leaders left. Luckily with the Longhorns not suffering many major portal losses, the players in the locker room are those bought into sustaining and strengthening Sarkisian’s culture. That’s to say, the leadership candidate herd doesn’t need a culling.

Though just one defensive player was named, there are plenty of veterans or stars who could join the names listed above including Anthony Hill, who may have been an inadvertent snub. Colin Simmons, Trey Moore, Malik Muhammad, Ethan Burke, and Derek Williams are all players that have played good football for Texas and have been on the 40 Acres for several years (with Moore as a unique exception as a transfer). They are great options to be leaders on Pete Kwiatkowski‘s side of the ball.

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Six names quickly came to Sarkisian’s mind on 3rd and Longhorn. Those players, and more who will become more prominent in Sarkisian’s memory, will be the players looked toward in 2025 to lead Texas’ national championship efforts from the front.