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For the past few years, I have joked that Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian has a “type” when it comes to receivers.
Sarkisian reminded me of that friend we all knew who always dated a cut-and-paste version of the last person they were with. It could have been hair color, eye color, height, body type, income, personality, or nationality—I’m talking about both men and women. Regardless, when you saw that person, your immediate thought was, “Yep, this is pretty much what I expected.”
If Sarkisian were on a dating app looking for receivers, he previously would have swiped right on any athlete in the 6-foot, 175-pound range with blazing speed. Those are the receivers Sarkisian loved to get into space and exploit opposing defenses. He had a lot of success as a play-caller at Alabama with smaller receivers such as DeVonta Smith (6-0, 185 pounds), Jerry Jeudy (6-1, 193), Henry Ruggs III (6-0, 190), and Jaylen Waddle (5-9, 180). He also had a lot of success with Xavier Worthy (5-11, 165) at Texas.
However, when Sarkisian shows up at the SEC Dance in 2025, many of his receivers will have a different look than the pass-catchers he was previously attracted to.
Welcome to the era of badass Texas receivers with the perfect combination of speed, height, and strength.
It wasn’t long ago—four months ago, to be exact—that I asked Sarkisian about his recruiting approach to receivers. I noticed he had only three receivers on scholarship above 6-0 entering the 2024 season (Ryan Wingo, Parker Livingstone, and Freddie Dubose).
Here’s what I wrote on September 10, 2024, in The Sunday Pulpit:
“I got into this idea that as the game started to kind of spread itself out, and we got out of a little bit of the pro-style, one-on-one, two-back ISO, and one-on-one kind of plays on the perimeter, my big thing was like, hey, I want guys that can catch and run with the ball," Sarkisian said. "We don't throw many stationary throws where guys are standing there catching the ball. We like to catch the ball on the move so that when they catch it, they can continue to run. That's why quarterback accuracy is so important. Generally speaking, the faster you are on the move, the tougher you are to, A, guard and, B, get on the ground once you catch it. It's just been something that we've tried to identify in the recruiting process.
"It kind of started when I was at Washington. We recruited a young man by the name of John Ross. When he got in the program, you could feel the difference in what it looked like. I only had him for a year before I took another job. He went on to be the fastest guy ever at the NFL Combine until Xavier (Worthy) showed up. We started to try to identify more guys like that in the NFL. We had Julio (Jones), who was a little bit of a unicorn because he had the size and the speed. But then we drafted Calvin Ridley from Alabama, and he played that same style, which made sense for what we were trying to do. Then, like you said, I got to Bama and had those five guys. Since I've gotten here, it's been what we've tried to recreate. I think we've got a pretty good group of guys now who understand the style of play we're trying to implement.”
Wingo proved they could have it all.
From the moment Wingo (6-2, 210) arrived on campus, he was viewed as the next great receiver at Texas. I had multiple sources compare Wingo to Julio Jones on several occasions last year. Wingo had the height, weight, and speed combination that Sarkisian loved.
The previous coaches at Texas followed the traditional mold and recruited tall and long receivers. They craved players such as Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
However, Wingo is a better version of those guys.
I discovered Sarkisian’s switch before the Peach Bowl last season. It innocently began during an interview when Sarkisian was asked what position Michael Terry III was playing during bowl practices at Texas.
“We've got him at receiver right now,” Sarkisian said. “He looks really good. Again, I don't know how he's going to mature physically. He's a big, long guy, very versatile. He did a ton of stuff in high school. Seems very natural catching. Seems very natural with the ball in his hands. He’s doing a lot of scout team work for us right now … He's a big guy with room to grow, but his body might not grow [into playing tight end].”
Terry is listed at 6-3, 216.
I asked Sarkisian about his “type” of receivers and if Terry fit the mold. That’s when he shared the staff’s recent recruiting shift.
“We adjusted a little in this recruiting cycle,” Sarkisian said.
In addition to Terry, Texas signed Kaliq Lockett (6-2, 172), Jaime Ffrench (6-2, 185), and Daylan McCutcheon (6-0, 175).
“If you look at Kaliq, Jaime, and now Michael, then with Daylan McCutcheon, but those first three guys, I felt a little bit like going through this first cycle in the SEC, we probably needed a little bit more size,” Sarkisian told me. “We value a lot of the perimeter blocking, and advantage throws are big for us, so we shifted a little bit that way. Now, I love speed, don't get me wrong, and you never want to sacrifice that.
“But there was a little bit of a different shift in kind of a philosophical approach where I think we're going to need to go to have sustainability in this conference.”
One offseason goal is for the receivers to become a more physical group this year. That is a huge point of emphasis during winter conditioning.
In addition, here’s what I reported in a previous War Room:
I asked one source why the staff felt apprehensive entering last season with receivers who lacked significant playing time but didn’t approach the transfer portal with the same urgency this offseason. Texas acquired Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, and Silas Bolden through the transfer portal before last season. However, since the 2024 regular season ended, Texas hasn’t signed any receivers through the portal.
The explanations I received were enlightening:
1. They’re comfortable with Ryan Wingo’s progression as a freshman and believe he could become an impact player this season.
2. They think DeAndre Moore, who wasn’t impactful last season due to injury, could play a major role this year.
3. They’ve realized they haven’t consistently acquired impactful receivers through the transfer portal and are now focusing on developing the players already on the roster. Adonai Mitchell and Matthew Golden had the most significant impacts, while others didn’t contribute as much.
4. Nevertheless, the staff will reassess in the spring and consider adding receivers if anyone impactful becomes available in the transfer portal.
If Texas pursues a receiver in the portal, we have an idea of what “type” of pass-catcher Sarkisian will swipe right on.
“I think you're going to always have some speed element,” Texas receivers coach Chris Jackson told me. “The 5-11, 185-pound guy, that's not the guy you’re expecting to be digging out safeties consistently. We didn't ask Xavier to do that a whole lot, but he still had his blocking responsibilities. That’s going to be more of your Z guy. That’s where AD Mitchell and Jordan Whittington brought value in 12 personnel. That’s where Matt Golden has kind of taken that element as well.
“Ryan Wingo can actually play both because he’s not 5-11 or 6-foot, but he has a speed element. He can take the top off of coverage, can run the end-around that Xavier and Bond could do, but he also has a physical stature where he can dig out the safety.
“I think Coach (Sarkisian) is onto something... You have to have a little bit of physical stature to get off [blocks] as well as [compete against] the safeties at this level.”
Welcome to the era of badass Texas receivers with the perfect combination of speed, height, and strength.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
This poor kid …
To heck with baking pies
Bert Auburn caught a stray (bad language alert)
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas running backs coach Tashard Choice may have interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, but there is optimism that the Longhorns will be able to retain him. I was told Choice’s agent is currently negotiating with Texas and Dallas, and people behind the scenes hope to resolve this by Sunday.
2. I do not want to jinx it but giving the team too much praise, but what a difference a few weeks make ...
3. I was told Sarkisian told the majority of his staff to take at least a week off from work since they have been grinding nonstop for nearly a year. Sarkisian did not want his staff to burn out and decided it was important for everyone to get some rest. Longhorn players will still participate in winter conditioning, led by Texas strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton and his staff. However, everyone else has the opportunity to recharge.
4. There are high expectations inside the building surrounding former Ohio State defensive tackle Hero Kanu. One source told me they expect more than depth from Kanu, and "depth" would be the worst-case scenario. They believe Kanu can emerge as a key contributor this season. The missing ingredient is freshman defensive tackle Justus Terry. I was told that if Terry turns into a contributor, this year’s defensive line could be as good or better than the 2024 unit.
5. One person I spoke with this past week said the staff feels great about the following defensive positions: Edge, Linebacker, and Safety. They want to see an intense position battle at cornerback during the offseason. Once again, I was told Texas moved Jahdae Barron to cornerback out of necessity. However, with Barron gone, they are looking for someone to fill his shoes.
6. Texas quarterback Arch Manning patiently waited for the spotlight he is currently receiving. I remember being told that Manning’s family did not want Arch to have major attention until he was a starter. Manning Mania has taken off, but not only does the quarterback deserve it, but he is mentally strong enough to handle the spotlight.
7. Props to Barryn Sorrell for improving his draft stock because of his Senior Bowl performance this past week.
8. Michigan is still fighting for its honor, according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger.
“Michigan and the NCAA are in for a long, bruising fight over allegations related to the Connor Stalions-led advanced scouting and sign-stealing scheme.
In its response to the association sent earlier this month, the university refutes many of the alleged rules violations and accuses the NCAA of “grossly overreaching” and “wildly overcharging” the program without credible evidence that other staff members knew of Stalions’ illegal in-person scouting system.
In the 137-page document — a portion of which Yahoo Sports obtained — Michigan makes clear that it will not enter into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over the alleged wrongdoing, vigorously defending its former head coach, current head coach, several staff members and even Stalions, the low-level assistant who orchestrated one of the most elaborate sign-stealing systems in college football history on the way to the school winning the 2023 national championship. The school purports that the sign-stealing system offered “minimal relevance to competition,” was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violation …
“However, perhaps most notable in the document is an answer to a long-discussed question: Who originally tipped off the NCAA to Stalions’ scheme?
“According to the document, the tipster derived from Michigan’s own campus. The unnamed source, which the NCAA has not disclosed, appears to have worked at the school, at least at one point. Michigan believes the confidential leaker was used by the NCAA to produce at least some of the charges in the notice of allegations, something in which it expresses “concern.”
“While the school respects the secrecy of confidential sources, it says in the document, the NCAA can present evidence and infractions based only on “information that can be attributed to individuals who are willing to be identified.”
“The case is now bound for a hearing before the Division I Committee on Infractions, an independent administrative body charged with deciding infractions cases. The committee has authority to set and conduct hearings as well as prescribe penalties.
“However, Michigan is requesting a “pre-hearing conference” to discuss the origins of the tipster and their role in the charges against the school.”
9. This makes a lot of sense. I doubt Nebraska coach Matt Rhule could cancel his program’s spring game because the large attendance is a money-maker for the athletic department. However, if every program eliminated their respective spring games, it may not eliminate tampering, but it could help.
10. This ...
Family Guy
The month of January was incredible for me. Honestly, it was too good not to share.
1. I was awarded sole custody of my youngest son on the morning of the Cotton Bowl. His mother relocated to Merida, Mexico, 2½ years ago and he’s been under my care since that time. I’m excited for all the memories we’ll create, the milestones we’ll achieve together, and the privilege of loving and raising my son, who is currently 6-years-old.
2. The boys and I traveled to the National Academy Championships in Sanford, Florida last week. Max excelled in the tournament. Here is the proud dad’s amateur video:
3 Three days after returning from Florida, Max decided to cut his hair. I loved his long hair and it was initially painful to see him in that barber’s chair. However, I like his new look.
4 My 2013 Ford Taurus SEL is 30 miles away from 200,000. I decided it was time to finally do something nice for myself and purchased this Jeep Grand Cherokee L Laredo 4D on Saturday from Covert Bee Cave.
