2021 Texas Offseason: Sark Attacks Austin

LTtxfan · February 6, 2021

19 hours ago, satyanash said:

(Chip Brown) The Insider: Texas football has 'a totally different vibe'

Doc Reeves · February 6, 2021

9 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Now that’s a vibe we can all get down to

BurntOrangeBlooded15 · February 6, 2021

2 hours ago, Bevo14 said:

Well Charlie didn't get the same resources because Steve Patterson was a moron. It's unlikely he would've pulled a staff like this anyway but he was handcuffed.

And I agree with this. I still think Patterson only reasoning for being hired was to fire Mack.

Tommy had every chance to do it right and fucked it up.

South Austin · February 6, 2021

42 minutes ago, BurntOrangeBlooded15 said:

I still think Patterson only reasoning for being hired was to fire Mack.

Supposedly he interviewed great, and we thought he was hot shit because of his tenure with the Houston Rockets. And yeah, word is that Oliver Luck wanted to come here but said he didn’t want to be the one to fire Mack.

But as soon as I heard Patterson’s “blended increase” bullshit about rising ticket prices, I knew he was a piece of shit.

UDontKnow · February 6, 2021

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

Supposedly he interviewed great, and we thought he was hot shit because of his tenure with the Houston Rockets. And yeah, word is that Oliver Luck wanted to come here but said he didn’t want to be the one to fire Mack.

But as soon as I heard Patterson’s “blended increase” bullshit about rising ticket prices, I knew he was a piece of shit.

Really? Because his tenure with the Rockets was mixed at best. He did bring in a decent supporting cast around Hakeem, but then threatened to trade Hakeem to the Heat for two bags of chips (Rony Seikaly and Harold Miner).

Hmm. Now I get the Rocket Man stunt.

All Patterson was good for was playing the role of the hatchet man. Too bad for us that Luck was being a pussy. I would take him to replace the emerging failure that is Chrissy Conte.

South Austin · February 6, 2021

10 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Really? Because his tenure with the Rockets was mixed at best. He did bring in a decent supporting cast around Hakeem, but then threatened to trade Hakeem to the Heat for two bags of chips (Rony Seikaly and Harold Miner).

Hmm. Now I get the Rocket Man stunt.

All Patterson was good for was playing the role of the hatchet man. Too bad for us that Luck was being a pussy. I would take him to replace the emerging failure that is Chrissy Conte.

I don’t remember anything about the particulars of his time with the Rockets. I just remember folks excited about the fact that he had a professional sports background.

As for Christy, how much of the Sarkisian hire was him? Because I’m willing to reserve judgment until after a couple years of the Sarkisian era.

UDontKnow · February 6, 2021

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

I don’t remember anything about the particulars of his time with the Rockets. I just remember folks excited about the fact that he had a professional sports background.

As for Christy, how much of the Sarkisian hire was him? Because I’m willing to reserve judgment until after a couple years of the Sarkisian era.

Your mom jokes aside, I am no insider. But the insiders' consensus on this board is that Crystal had next to nothing to do with the Sarkisian hire. Chrissy was recalled and sidelined for dipshittery including floating names like James Franklin and Sonny Dykes. CDC might make an awesome associate AD that oversees non-revenue sports, but then his salary should be adjusted accordingly (about tree-fiddy).

Funk Doctor Spock · February 6, 2021

14 hours ago, Eskimohorn said:

You’re avatar is better than this

Your*

Teryor · February 6, 2021

20 hours ago, ztejas said:

I'm bullish on Sark but articles like this make me nervous. There was (reportedly) a different vibe from Mack to Charlie. There was (reportedly) a different vibe from Charlie to Herman. Now there's (reportedly) a different vibe... again. It's like Chip is saying "No no we promise it's different this time!"

I really hope it is.

No shit, the 9.95ers have to sell hope because otherwise their readers will unsubscribe. They have to look at the optimistic side and shit on who was fired because if they don't, they'll be called haters. This is especially true with an incredibly unreasonable fanbase like ours.

ztejas · February 6, 2021

7 minutes ago, Teryor said:

No shit, the 9.95ers have to sell hope because otherwise their readers will unsubscribe. They have to look at the optimistic side and shit on who was fired because if they don't, they'll be called haters. This is especially true with an incredibly unreasonable fanbase like ours.

I guess that's what makes me nervous. Knowing they are going to write shit like this regardless.

JFKFC · February 6, 2021

6 minutes ago, Teryor said:

This is especially true with an incredibly unreasonable fanbase like ours.

Comments like this always bother me.

I think our fanbase is reasonable and patient.

There are 2 sports that really matters (especially when it comes to $), football & men's hoops. In the last half century, covering 100 seasons of the 2 most important sports, Texas has 1 championship.

What has out fanbase done? We've made the University of Texas the wealthiest athletics department. We've given a lot, with very little return, and we keep giving.

closetohumping · February 7, 2021

20 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Poona, and I'll shut up.

Greg Ward?

Fletch · February 7, 2021

8 hours ago, JFKFC said:

Comments like this always bother me.

I think our fanbase is reasonable and patient.

There are 2 sports that really matters (especially when it comes to $), football & men's hoops. In the last half century, covering 100 seasons of the 2 most important sports, Texas has 1 championship.

What has out fanbase done? We've made the University of Texas the wealthiest athletics department. We've given a lot, with very little return, and we keep giving.

Does baseball not count as an important sport anymore? I mean yeah college baseball makes like no money, but our baseball program has certainly walked the walk

CBHorn · February 7, 2021

22 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

That and the obligated Big 12 logo is all we need. Same with the home uniform.

I say skip the Big 12 logo too and just pay the fine.

Machinator · February 7, 2021

Machinator · February 7, 2021

Ray Thornton

Wulaw Horn · February 7, 2021

22 hours ago, Teryor said:

No shit, the 9.95ers have to sell hope because otherwise their readers will unsubscribe. They have to look at the optimistic side and shit on who was fired because if they don't, they'll be called haters. This is especially true with an incredibly unreasonable fanbase like ours.

Do you feel alive at any point in time other than when you are cutting yourself?

Machinator · February 7, 2021

ztejas · February 7, 2021

7 hours ago, Machinator said:

If he can break 30 mph then we'll really be in business.

Bevo · February 7, 2021

19 minutes ago, ztejas said:

If he can break 30 mph then we'll really be in business.

That is less than half the top speed of a cheetah.

ztejas · February 7, 2021

4 minutes ago, Bevo said:

That is less than half the top speed of a cheetah.

Ain't no rule that says a cheetah can't play football.

demos · February 7, 2021

Ain't no rule that says a cheetah can't play football.

Enroll the cheetah and get em a tutor stat.

Reese Bennett · February 8, 2021

Cheetahs have great straight-line speed but they are really bad route runners.

ClubWhatever · February 8, 2021

41 minutes ago, Reese Bennett said:

Cheetahs have great straight-line speed but they are really bad route runners.

Tell that to the antelope

Noah Fence · February 8, 2021

On 2/6/2021 at 10:37 AM, South Austin said:

I don’t remember anything about the particulars of his time with the Rockets. I just remember folks excited about the fact that he had a professional sports background.

Any Rockets fan during Steve Patterson's tenure knew he would be a disaster here. He was probably the most hated sports figure in Houston until Bud Adams said "hold my beer."

dingleberryswitzer · February 8, 2021

4 hours ago, Bevo said:

That is less than half the top speed of a cheetah.

What's that, like a tenth of a teddy Lehman?

LTtxfan · February 8, 2021

NoName · February 8, 2021

Crissy Del Conte? Crystal Del Conte?

these are you know who level bad twitter nicknames.

let's just stick with CDC at this point, both of those are trying way way way too hard and still coming out with a really fucking terrible nickname.

closetojumping · February 8, 2021

18 minutes ago, NoName said:

Crissy Del Conte? Crystal Del Conte?

these are you know who level bad twitter nicknames.

let's just stick with CDC at this point, both of those are trying way way way too hard and still coming out with a really fucking terrible nickname.

It’s Crystal Conte. Anything else is wrong.

Fud · February 8, 2021

Who's got it?

Machinator · February 8, 2021

2 minutes ago, Fud said:

Who's got it?

Spoiler

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

ztejas · February 8, 2021

11 minutes ago, Fud said:

Who's got it?

And yet there were people (was a person?) arguing against me when I made this exact point after the season.

Doc Reeves · February 8, 2021

2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

And yet there were people (was a person?) arguing against me when I made this exact point after the season.

I believe the only valid point I heard at the time was that there were some concerns that he may have had some lingering issues when he folded like a lawn chair at Tech so they brought him along slow.

haven’t heard anything more on that since then tho.

Doc Reeves · February 8, 2021

16 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Reveal hidden contents

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

My man.

+

ztejas · February 8, 2021

3 minutes ago, Doc Reeves said:

I believe the only valid point I heard at the time was that there were some concerns that he may have had some lingering issues when he folded like a lawn chair at Tech so they brought him along slow.

haven’t heard anything more on that since then tho.

Right. Which maybe excuses the TCU game but he still should have been a bigger part of the offense both before and after that. I also think the Tech injury or whatever it was was partly due to our stupid-ass one RB per drive scheme, so when he did get on the field for his "drive" he felt like he had to do something special - hence trying to vault the guy. Maybe that's a bit presumptuous but it crossed my mind.

Reynolds Woodcock · February 8, 2021

37 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

It’s Crystal Conte. Anything else is wrong.

It’s Nahlin-esque, and you should be embarrassed every time you write it.

Laxtonto · February 8, 2021

36 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

Damn.... that is SloNeal level speed right there....

We seriously need to get back to recruiting elite speed at CB...

Fud · February 8, 2021

1 minute ago, Laxtonto said:

Damn.... that is SloNeal level speed right there....

We seriously need to get back to recruiting elite speed at CB...

Cook had his running times scratched at one of the recruiting camps, and then got torched at the all American practices by Amon-Ra, iirc

Viper · February 8, 2021

22 minutes ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

It’s Nahlin-esque, and you should be embarrassed every time you write it.

Nahlin is no where near as petty as @closetojumping. I imagine it was just a voice to text transcription typo that gave ctj uncontrollable giggles. Nahlin would spend 2 hours trying to work in some analogy between Chris Del Conte's performance and the Center for Disease Control's pandemic response and end up with half his audience confused and the other half also confused but laughing anyway.

Red Five · February 8, 2021

53 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns

Sigh.

ztejas · February 8, 2021

10 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Sigh.

And 80 of those yards were on his first catch of the season.

Tex-19 · February 8, 2021

1 hour ago, Machinator said:

Reveal hidden contents

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

Wow that is some very high praise for Card. Maybe we shouldn't be assuming Casey wins the job. Hope Card doesn't transfer if he doesn't win it

Fud · February 8, 2021

1 hour ago, Machinator said:

Reveal hidden contents

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

Anyone care to take a stab at who the coaches are?

Assuming they're from the pool of eight assistants who weren't retained from 2020, I'll go with

Coach 1: Clearly a defensive guy. My guess is Ash

Coach 2: Only had two quotes and both were on offense, so this is tough. Could be any of Yurcich, Hand, or Boulware. I'll go with Boulware.

Coach 3: Comments on both offense and defense. Think it could be Yurcich, Hutzler, or Valai. I'll go with Hutzler.

Coach 4: All comments were about the front six, and Overshown was the only one mentioned that wasn't an on the ball guy, and I think Hutzler would have complimented more of the younger LBs, so I think it's Giles or Hagen. I'll go with Hagen.

Tex-19 · February 8, 2021

Also, Bijan is going to have 500+ receiving yards this year. Sark seems to be a big fan of throwing to RBs and Bijan is a stud receiver

Funk Doctor Spock · February 8, 2021

Christie Conte? Anyone? No?

OK...

Machinator · February 8, 2021

IT

Spoiler

By: Justin, Gerry, and Eric

On Friday, monsieur Burton posted the following:

I’m told Texas coaches have been reviewing practice film from last year, not just game film, to get an idea of the players who return to the team this season.

Sark is said to be pleasantly surprised with the talent on campus. “Better than expected,” he told an athletic department official.

IT continues to hear this same sentiment — the new staff is pleasantly surprised with overall roster talent. Contrasted with the arrivals of Charlie Strong and Tom Herman, both of whom had roster issues to navigate, this should fall on welcoming ears.

The internal feeling is there is a lot to work with at quarterback, running back, and on the defensive line. Hearing they like the QB’s beyond Thompson’s stellar Alamo Bowl performance is comforting, though not surprising. On the DL, Alfred Collins and T’Vondre Sweat are said to have impressed the coaches on practice/game tape.

The offensive line is seen as having good pieces to work with. It’s not great, it’s not bad (Obviously they need to kill this recruiting class).

The concern remains wide receiver and not just from a numbers standpoint. Who are the top-line difference makers? This shouldn’t be surprising given the roster talent at Alabama, but that roster would be difficult to duplicate in the NFL if you go by draft placement the last two years.

The staff is optimistic it can score points at a high clip and play good defense.

To underline the point regarding the staff liking the parts it is inheriting, Coach Kwiatkowski is said to want to keep much of the defensive framework in tact. Of course he’s going to be multiple but he feels the personnel fits well in Chris Ash’s base scheme.

[Hearing stuff like this is very difficult for us Honeymooners who feel the new staff is too good to be true. Rather than install his scheme wholesale, Coach K wants to keep what was working while tweaking things more towards his play-calling]

The players are “enjoying“ the new workouts. Enjoy isn’t the right word but they’re excited about the direction of S&C. Becton’s personality is a welcomed respite from Yancy McKnight, but more so they like the idea of being leaner and more explosive. If the game is played in space, both offensive and defensive players need to be constructed to be able to move more freely. The new S&C staff and the players are in agreement, they were too bulky and too stiff.

Overall team sentiment seems overwhelmingly positive but of course there will be casualties along the way. The portal is just a fact of life. The sentiment on the team, however, is once you enter the portal you’re gone so don’t expect Sarkisian and the new coaches to re-recruit you.

Machinator · February 8, 2021

Gerry Hamilton follow-up:

Quote

On Alfred Collins and Sweat ... was told "those two could play a lot and excel at Alabama".

Royale with cheese · February 8, 2021

1 hour ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

It’s Nahlin-esque, and you should be embarrassed every time you write it.

Amen, brother.

tokamak · February 8, 2021

1 hour ago, Machinator said:

Hide contents

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

Show. Me. A. Loss.

Royale with cheese · February 8, 2021

1 hour ago, Machinator said:

Reveal hidden contents

One of the biggest challenges for any new head coach is the management of a roster in flux, and that task is even more critical in the era of the transfer portal. After adding three more players on national signing day last Wednesday to bring the size of his transition class to 21, new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made it sound like the job was not finished, with relaxed transfer rules projected to arrive later this year.

“We wanted to make sure we left ourselves enough wiggle room and versatility to get through spring ball and maybe address a few more needs that may come down the road,” Sarkisian said at his signing day press conference.

That wiggle room boils down to four scholarship spots Sarkisian has available to supplement his new roster. So where to start?

Sarkisian is taking over a program that had gone 15-8 the past two seasons. The perception of many was that the Longhorns had underachieved under Tom Herman, but on paper, the previous staff seemed to recruit well. Herman’s last three classes finished No. 8, No. 3 and No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, but talk to rival coaches and NFL scouts, and you hear a much different reality about the true talent level at Texas.

What do those who were on the inside think? The Athletic spoke to four members of Texas’ 2020 staff who were granted anonymity in return for offering a clear picture of what Sarkisian inherits on the Longhorns’ roster.

Let’s start with the good news.

A dynamic young running back
Running back Bijan Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and added 15 catches for 192 yards and two receiving touchdowns in a debut campaign that featured some tantalizing flashes.

“He’s a stud,” said a former Texas coach we’ll call Coach One. “He should’ve played more (in 2020). If we played him more, we might not have lost those games we lost. In those games we lost, we couldn’t run the ball. He has the size, the speed. He should’ve played more.”

“He makes a lot of things right,” said the former Texas coach hereafter referred to as Coach Two.

In the last two games of the year against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson more than doubled his rushing totals for the season with 355 yards on just 19 carries, four of which went for touchdowns.

Another 2020 staffer, whom we’ll call Coach Three, described the 6-foot, 222-pound freshman as having “Christian McCaffrey ability.”

“What I love about him the most is how humble he is,” Coach Three said. “He’s one of the most impressive 18-year-olds you will ever meet. A guy with that type of hype, it’s rare to be so humble with a hunger to be great. And he probably had the best hands on the entire team. I’ll be very shocked if he didn’t win the Heisman one day.”

Quarterbacks with potential
Despite losing four-year starter Sam Ehlinger, the quarterback room is another source of optimism. Last week, Sarkisian told Stewart Mandel and me on The Audible Podcast that he probably wouldn’t take a head coaching job that didn’t have a (good) quarterback on the roster.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to be around some good players at that position who have the physical traits and the mental makeup to play really good at the position,” Sarkisian said. “It’s the most important position in sports. We’re fortunate that we have two young men right now on our roster that can play.”

Those two are freshman Hudson Card, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 class, and sophomore Casey Thompson, who came into the Alamo Bowl at the start of the second half after Ehlinger left with an injury and torched Colorado, finishing 8 for 10 with four touchdown passes in a 55-23 rout.

“I had a chance to watch that game,” Sarkisian told us. “I got home from work right before the end of the first half and just happened to watch the second half and I thought, ‘Jeez, Texas is in pretty good hands here, they have a pretty good guy.’ But then I had to remind myself when I got into really looking at this job. I did a really extensive eval on Hudson Card, and then I got here and heard a lot of the same things you’ve been hearing (from the 2020 Texas staff). I feel like we’re in good hands.”

“Casey is a good player,” Coach Three said of Thompson. “Great personality. He’s probably only 5-11. OK arm strength. He throws a good catchable ball. He’s accurate. Has good touch. He’s fast, mobile. I think he’s a sub-4.5 guy. But I’d be shocked if Hudson’s not the quarterback.

“I love the guy. Love his accuracy. Hudson can really drive the football. His footwork and ability to throw from any platform. He’s a very intelligent kid. I think Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback ever in terms of skill set. This kid reminds me a lot of Aaron Rodgers in how he can move within the pocket and throw from different arm angles and make off-platform throws, and he’s got really good agility. He’s like a 4.5 (40) guy. I’m not bullshitting you. He’s really that talented.”

Coach Two gushed about Card’s talent. “Hudson has got a chance to be special,” he said. “He is ridiculously good. He can really spin it. He makes good decisions. He has a lot of ‘It’ factor.”

“He’s gonna be really good,” Coach One said. “I think he can be one of the best players in the country.”

Strength in the middle on D
The Longhorns should return a lot of talent on the interior of their defensive line, and in 2020 the program brought in two four-star in-state defensive linemen who have generated a lot of enthusiasm. Alfred Collins, ranked No. 63 overall in the Class of 2020, embraced a move inside and bypassed the competition at three-technique. Collins was getting around 30 snaps a game for much of the season but then played about 50 snaps in the Alamo Bowl. He is further along than Vernon Broughton, who was No. 123 in the Class of 2020.

Both were recruited as defensive ends for Todd Orlando’s system and then were asked to shift inside for Chris Ash’s defense. That position switch required a mindset adjustment.

“Collins is more athletic and twitchier than Broughton,” Coach Four said. “He’s the better pass rusher. He can make guards and centers look silly. Alfred ran as well, if not better than, the edge guys we had. Vernon’s got good length and athleticism.

Nose tackles Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat are a capable tandem. “Both are too heavy,” Coach Four said. “Sweat will be a better pro. He has more length and is naturally strong. You can’t move him. He’s like a big tree in there. Keondre loves football. We felt like people couldn’t run up the middle on us.”

“They can be pretty salty on the interior,” said Coach One. “Alfred Collins is a potential first-round defensive tackle. He’s 6-5, 310, and his 10-yard times were better than most of the linebackers.

“T’Vondre Sweat could be an NFL player, but he has to lose weight. He was 348. He needs to get under 330. Broughton, the jury’s still out on him. He’s talented but he doesn’t move anything like Alfred.”

New arrivals at defensive end
The Longhorns’ options at defensive end are less proven, thanks in part to the recent scheme shifts and the prior staff’s limited success in identifying edge rushers. Joseph Ossai, who led the team with 16 tackles for loss and five sacks, is off to the NFL. “He played harder than everybody else,” said Coach Four.

A walk-on linebacker, Jett Bush, became a backup defensive end. A reserve tight end, Reese Leitao, saw extensive action at defensive end. “Moro Ojomo isn’t a defensive end, but we had to play him there,” said Coach One. “We had one true defensive end body, Jacoby Jones, out there and he got better as the year went on. He’s an above-average player.”

The 6-3, 276-pound Ojomo did make some plays and finished second on the team in sacks, but it only took him two to get that high on the leaderboard. “He works his ass off,” said Coach Four.

In an attempt to remedy the issues at defensive end, Sarkisian signed David Abiarra, a three-star 6-4, 245-pound recruit, welcomed in LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton and received a verbal commitment from Notre Dame grad transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“We really believe (Abiarra) can grow into a 265-270-pound defensive end,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast. “The key to the drill there is understanding our style and (new defensive coordinator Pete) Kwiatkowski’s style of play when he was at Washington. That hybrid defensive end that can also play stand-up outside linebacker. It’s a big component to generating the pass rush but also the versatility.”

One intriguing option as an edge rusher is the Longhorns’ top-rated signee: Ja’Tavion Sanders, a 6-3, 235-pound athlete who caught 63 passes for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns for a state championship team at Denton Ryan last fall but also piled up 23.5 sacks as a sophomore and junior. On The Audible, Sarkisian talked about the prospect of Sanders having a two-way role in Austin as something he’s considering.

“I had this discussion with J.T. when I took the job: ‘Hey, clearly you can play on either side of the ball. Let us get through spring practice and really assess what are the needs on the roster.’” Sarkisian said. “We took a grad transfer, Ray Thornton from LSU, who fills that role as an OLB, DE; David Abiarra who we just signed, kind of fits that mode. When J.T. comes here in the summer, wherever that need is will be the focus of where he starts, but all that being said, when I had Austin Seferian-Jenkins at Washington, he played tight end but we also played him as a third-down pass rusher. We had John Ross on offense, but we played him at nickel on third down. When we signed Adoree’ (Jackson, at USC), he started at corner as a true freshman but we played him 8-10 snaps a game on offense. This isn’t foreign to me, to kinda go down that road with some of these players who have that ability, and I think J.T. does. How it will all play out, I think time will tell. But I won’t shy away from that if he’s capable enough to do it.”

A successful position switch
Another bright spot was the emergence of DeMarvion Overshown (60 tackles, 8 TFLs), a converted safety who began to blossom after shifting to linebacker as a junior in 2020. “He bought in, and kept getting better and better,” said Coach Four. “He is a guy they can build around.”

“He is a really smart kid,” said Coach Three. “I think he has the talent to be a top-30 pick. He can run and can cover. He is a freak athlete with a lot of length, and with all of the RPO stuff people are doing, his ability to run and change direction, he’s poised for a breakout season. He started understanding that position late last season.”

Coach One praised Overshown’s grit. “He’s tough as shit, but he’s undersized for linebacker. He played at about 215 to 218. He learned the position with no spring ball, and he needs to get a lot stronger. If he’s gonna play in there and try and take on O-linemen, he’s gotta get bigger and stronger.”

Then there are the areas that may require a little more patience.

Offensive line
In the bowl win over Colorado, the Longhorns started four freshmen and a sophomore on the offensive line. One of those freshmen, center Jake Majors, drew a lot of praise from the former staff members. The sophomore is right tackle Christian Jones, a former high school soccer player who reported at 275 pounds, is now 6-6, 320 and is “starting to figure things out” according to Coach Two. Derek Kerstetter, who has started 37 games, is coming off ankle surgery that caused him to miss the bowl game. Also coming back is senior Denzel Okafor, who started every game in 2020 other than the bowl game at right guard.

“On the offensive line, we really only signed two kids in this class,” Sarkisian said during his signing day press conference. “Moving forward, that is gonna be a position that we’re gonna have to focus on in the 2022 class.”

Go-to receivers
Brennan Eagles, who had 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns, is off to the NFL Draft. The guy many see as the best bet to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver is freshman Troy Omeire, a 6-3, 230-pound target who tore his ACL in preseason camp and missed the whole 2020 season.

“He’s a legitimate No. 1,” said Coach One. “He really stood out in training. I was so impressed with him before he got hurt.”

“He can really run and has a great big catch radius,” said Coach Three.

Joshua Moore led the Longhorns in all three major receiving categories with 30 receptions for 472 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s explosive, but several of the coaches said the redshirt sophomore has to get bigger and stronger to become a more complete receiver. Jake Smith, the No. 3 receiver in 2020, is another player who could really take to Sarkisian’s system. “He’s a good solid player,” said Coach Three. “That offense will fit his skill set.” Converted running back Jordan Whittington (21 catches) also figures to become more of a factor in 2021. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, but he’s very strong and is a 4.5 kid at 215 pounds. He can be a good H-receiver,” said the same coach.

Freshman Kelvontay Dixon (three catches in 2020) is another name to remember. Coach Three called him the fastest guy on the team.

The last line of defense
The secondary was where Texas had supposedly recruited the best under Herman, but that hasn’t kept it from becoming an area of concern. In 2018, Texas brought in six players ranked among the nation’s top 64 recruits, five of whom were listed as defensive backs. (Overshown was one of them and has proven to be a good linebacker instead.) Two of those highest-rated defensive backs, five-star Caden Sterns and cornerback Jalen Green (who transferred to Mississippi State in January) haven’t met that kind of hype.

“I don’t think Caden runs well enough to be a corner, but he could be a good safety,” said Coach One.

Another five-star from the 2018 class, safety B.J. Foster, has had his career derailed by injury: He had shoulder surgery last offseason and then broke his hand. “I think he’s a pretty good player and has an NFL future,” said Coach One.

Anthony Cook, the No. 64 overall recruit from that class, also may have been misidentified as a cornerback. “He’s long and has decent change of direction, but he’s probably more of a 4.7 (40) guy,” said Coach One. “If you want to press at cornerback, he can’t do it. He is tough. I think he should be a safety.”

D’Shawn Jamison, who began his career on offense, proved to be the Longhorns’ best corner in 2020. “He’s raw and light and small, but he was the best we had,” said Coach Three.

There are three freshman DBs to keep an eye on, starting with cornerback Kitan Crawford. “He’s the most talented guy there,” said Coach One. “He’s very raw but he’s tough, can run and has good size.”

“He’s a violent and physical guy out there,” said Coach Three. “He doesn’t say a lot. He will bust his ass on special teams. I think he will be the best cornerback there.”

Cornerback Jahdae Barron saw action in five games his first year. “He isn’t afraid to get up in a guy’s face and play man-to-man,” Coach Three said.

Safety Jerrin Thompson made two starts and finished his first season with 14 tackles. “He is a competitive prick,” Coach One said. “He’s not gonna light up the 40. He probably can’t crack a 4.6, but he does have pretty good change-of-direction and good feet.”

There also is good buzz around Darion Dunn, a 6-1 FCS transfer from McNeese who starred on the track team there.

Sophomore Chris Adimora, who was listed this fall at 6-1, 214 pounds, started 10 games at the Spur position with mixed results. “He really struggled,” said Coach One. “We didn’t have a true nickel, and he’s more of a tweener.”

“I think he’s a good player,” said Coach Three. “He runs pretty well, but he played out of position.”

Sarkisian got to see firsthand the impact of a high-level competitive environment and how it can turn a talented team into a title team, both as an assistant at USC and as a member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones became a prime example of the resilience and determination that really resonated for Sarkisian, especially during an era in which quarterbacks are constantly sizing up depth charts. Jones sat and waited four years for his turn, stuck it out behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa and knew five-star recruit Bryce Young was coming in to join the starting battle in 2020. “He competed and earned the job and then ultimately had the success that he’s had. I think that’s a great trait that he has,” Sarkisian told us on the podcast.

“I think perseverance is a little bit lost right now in our society, and we’ve got to instill more of that here in our program, quite frankly.”

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2021 Texas Offseason: Sark Attacks Austin

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