(From Anwar)
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian has never shied away from the championship expectations of the Longhorn fan base. From the day he was hired, Sarkisian has talked about building a program that can consistently compete for conference titles and national championships. He discussed it throughout the offseason. Sarkisian addressed competing for a conference title before the season. The first-year coach did not back away from his team advancing to the Big 12 Championship Game after the loss against Oklahoma this season.
In fact, Sarkisian mentioned the possibility of having a rematch against Oklahoma in the title game after that loss. Sarkisian was focused on competing for a conference championship until Texas lost its third-straight Big 12 game, ending the possibility of his team advancing to that game for the second time since the 2009 season.
Sarkisian expressed his frustration to the media on Thursday when asked about his team’s 4-4 season. He made it clear that he wants to win. His players want to win. Sarkisian intends to keep fighting and end this season on a high note.
To his credit, Sarkisian did not throw any of the previous coaches under the bus with his response. Sarkisian has always viewed the team he inherited as “his players” and never took the easy way out by indirectly labeling them as “Herman’s players.” In fact, Sarkisian was asked if this was a tougher job than he expected and more of a rebuild than he anticipated before the season.
Once again, Sarkisian refused to throw his players under the bus.
“I don't think it's tougher,” Sarkisian said. “I knew what I signed up for, I think that that's something having had previous head coach experience at a couple of other pretty high-profile universities, you understand the expectations. You understand the challenge. You understand the arena that you're in, and then you can be a little bit more comfortable in the arena of what those expectations are. I also recognize the level of frustration without us winning a couple of these close ballgames.
“But I can assure you that nobody's more frustrated than we are. Nobody's more frustrated than our players are. That frustration comes from [knowing] how close we are as well. All we can do is continue to grind away. I don't put we're a year away or two years away. Shoot, I want to win Saturday. That's where my focus is. That's where our staff’s focus is and our team's focus is. Going to put our best foot forward Saturday and trying to go get a win in Ames, Iowa.”
Sarkisian may not be happy with the results, but I learned he is not a coach who will compromise and allow disruptive behavior that could poison his locker room.
The best way to describe Sarkisian is by labeling him a “player’s coach.”
Sarkisian is not the coach who loves to scream at players who make errors. Instead, he prefers to have conversations and teachable moments.
Sarkisian is not the coach who distances himself from players. Instead, Sarkisian tries to develop relationships with his scholarship players.
Sarkisian does not have a long list of rules and regulations. Instead, Sarkisian tries to treat them as young men who are mature enough to be accountable.
This is the approach of most NFL coaches. As a person who covered the league for multiple news organizations for numerous years, I can tell you that most successful coaches take a diplomatic approach in the NFL. The coaches who scream and berate players never win over a locker room full of millionaires that will curse out a coach without fear of recourse (I witnessed it multiple times). Knowing Sarkisian’s NFL background, his approach at Texas is seemingly a carryover from his days as a professional assistant.
The challenge Sarkisian has recently faced is dealing with players who viewed his kindness as a weakness.
According to multiple sources, Sarkisian was forced to deal with a small number of players who were continuously late for practices and meetings. Some of the tardiness occurred on game days as well. It appears Sarkisian was patient with the offenders.
However, Sarkisian felt compelled to address this issue with his players on Wednesday. Following practice, Sarkisian addressed his team and informed them that tardiness was not acceptable. Sarkisian wanted his players to remain dialed-in and focused on Iowa State. He was not asking for permission. Sarkisian laid down the law.
Some players took accountability and pledged to do better. Overall, Sarkisian’s message seemingly resonated.
However, after the gathering, Sarkisian and receiver Joshua Moore engaged in a very heated argument. From what I was told, this argument was not the typical disagreement between coaches and players. Not long after the exchange, Moore’s locker was cleaned out. It is unclear if Moore removed his items or if Sarkisian had an assistant clean it out. Regardless, at the moment, Moore’s future with the team was in jeopardy.
At some point after the altercation, Moore spoke to the coaching staff and both sides reached a resolution that allowed the receiver to return.
Sarkisian acknowledged the confrontation with Moore when asked about it on Thursday, but as expected, tried to downplay it.
“Just getting coached. That’s what we do. I think sometimes people get this misconception that because I'm a player's coach that we don't coach hard. We have a very demanding staff. We coach hard. We believe in discipline. We believe in doing things the right way and when things aren't going that way, we coach our guys. So, whichever one you guys felt like it was important to report that, that's your bad, not ours.”
Sarkisian is not the first coach at Texas to deal with players bending the rules.
Herman suspended cornerbacks Kris Boyd and Davante Davis, along with receiver Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, for showing up late to a team meeting prior to facing Oklahoma State in 2018. Boyd and Davis missed the first quarter because they were multiple offenders.
“You know, it doesn’t matter if we were playing week one or week ten or who the opponent is, or if it was Oklahoma State or Oklahoma or Tulsa or San Jose State,” Herman said. “I mean, we have standards to uphold and when those standards aren’t met, there’s consequences for that. You know, everybody in our program knows that. We don’t love them any less. When you ground your kid, it doesn’t mean you love them any less. It doesn’t mean your feelings have changed for them.
“We love Kris Boyd and we love Davante Davis and we love LJ Humphrey, absolutely. They made a minor mistake that, you know, has to be reinforced. Our culture needs to be reinforced on a daily basis, so that moving forward, especially our young guys know that it doesn’t matter who you’re playing or what your name is.”
Sarkisian said Moore would be available to play against Iowa State. He did not say if Moore is being disciplined behind the scenes or will miss time on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Sarkisian seems determined to enforce his expectations at Texas, regardless of his team’s record.
*****
(From Suchomel)
Steve Sarkisian on Monday expressed confidence in the Longhorns’ position with their top offensive line targets, while also mentioning that Texas would like to sign at least five linemen in this class. With The Longhorns sitting at two pledge (Connor Robertson, Cole Hutson), it might seem like a tall order to close out with a group of five commitments from the current crop of targets. Tall order, but not impossible and Texas will have its chances to swing for the fences.
Both Kam Dewberry and Devon Campbell will be in town for the Kansas game for their official visits. Those two of late have openly discussed the possibility of playing together at the next level, and Dewberry’s father told OB that the plan for the visit is to have those two five-star recruits spend some time together to discuss their future. What better place than Austin, right? Kelvin Banks told OB on Wednesday night that he might visit and a second source on Thursday said they’re expecting him to come in for an unofficial visit (we’ve circled back to Banks to see if things are locked in but he hasn’t responded yet), but it sounds like that one’s more in the “probable” category with a little room for movement, which is usually the case with unofficial visits.
Can Texas close on all three? It won’t be easy with schools like Oklahoma and Texas A&M hanging around, not to mention Banks’ ongoing commitment to Oregon. But the staff has been selling its offensive line targets on the opportunity to play early after taking just two linemen in last year’s class, and it has resonated with some of the lineman on the radar, including guys like Malik Agbo and Earnest Greene.
I would guess that Robertson and Hutson will be at that game as well, assuming it doesn’t conflict with their playoff schedules. Those two have both been very active recruiters on UT’s behalf, so there’s no reason to think they won’t be front and center during that weekend if they’re available.
If I’m handicapping those races, I’d still give Texas the edge with Campbell just because I’ve thought the Longhorns were in a good spot for so long, but Oklahoma has surged there and it feels like a much tighter race than it did a few months ago. Dewberry is a tough one to predict because you continue to hear about different teams in a good spot at different times, although A&M seems to be the one consistent player in that one. Texas though, continues to stay in the race when most people were counting the Longhorns out back in the summer. If he and Campbell truly want to play together at the next level, that one could get interesting following his official visit. The Longhorns obviously have plenty to sell with location, academics, playing time, etc. It may not be enough to get Texas over the hump in the end, but the guess here is that one is closer than a lot of people realize. In Banks, the Longhorns finished behind both Oregon and Texas A&M when Banks made his summer decision, but Texas has continued to chip away there and Texas did make a very strong impression during his summer official visit.
Ultimately, Texas’ chances of hitting this one out of the stadium and landing two of the three, or maybe even all three, probably depends on just how much weight the opportunity for early playing time will carry. It’s not often a team can present as open of an offensive line depth chart as Texas can - one with limited upperclassmen leadership and limited young studs standing in the way. Will it be enough for the Longhorns to score big? We’ll have to wait and see on that, but at least Texas will get one final at bat. That in itself is progress.
******
Sticking with the offensive line them, we were finally able to catch up with Malik Agbo this week to talk about his Texas official visit and preview what’s left for the Rivals250 member.
Agbo has already taken official visits to Miami, Oklahoma and Texas. He’ll visit Florida and Auburn this month before working towards a decision.
“After those visits, I’ll sit down with family, the first week in December. I’ll have a week to rest take a break from everything and then decide on the 15th,” Agbo said.
As for the Texas visit, Agbo said he loved everything about it, especially the people he met.
“I really, really like the family atmosphere they had,” Agbo said. “Walking down Bevo Boulevard, guys were wanting to take pictures. It was really nice getting to see everybody, meet coach (Kyle) Flood and coach Sark in person for the first time. It was nice.”
Prior to his visit, Agbo had told OB that some other recruits had really helped get the Longhorns’ back on his radar. He said those players had told him if he visits Texas it will surpass all his incoming expectations.
“They were most definitely right,” Agbo said. Before, I’d only been in the Dallas area. Finally being in Austin, a really big city, a growing city - they were really right. The people there were really special.
“They’re among one of the best visits I’ve been on. Out of the three I’ve taken, they put it on. It was a show. I really liked it.”
The Texas staff has stayed in close contact ever since the official visit. Flood talked to Agbo on Wednesday, and the UT staff continues to stress to Agbo that he’d be a perfect fit in Austin.
“Really they just talk about the need for offensive linemen, how I fit their offense, how they can build me into a player, one of coach Flood’s guys that they’ve sent to the NFL. Especially in the first round,” Agbo said.
Agbo has been following UT’s season closely. Texas lost to Oklahoma State when he was at the game. He’s well aware of how the OU and Baylor games ended. While fans are understandably frustrated with those results, Agbo said they will have zero impact on his decision.
“Some of the fans may not get it, but they’re one or two blocks away from breaking it loose and having Bijan run for a touchdown,” Agbo said. “It takes time and development. Coach Sark hasn’t even had a real recruiting class yet.”
Speaking of recruiting classes, guys like Anthony Jones, Derek Brown and the two linemen commitments are staying in Agbo’s ear as well. That’s a plus for Texas, but Agbo said he hears it from commitments from every school he’s considering. One thing that is a bit different, Agbo said, is that a couple of the Longhorns’ current team members – guys like Christian Jones and Tope Imade – are also in touch. One source told me coming out of his visit that Agbo and Jones had really connected because they have very similar personalities. Now Jones is putting that connection to work.
The players checking up on me, that’s really big to me,” Agbo said. “They really want me to be a part of the family.”
******
When wide receiver Matthew Golden decommitted from TCU, it didn’t take long for Texas to come in with an offer. The Klein Cain product got a call from Steve Sarkisian in the middle of class, and his teacher told him to go ahead and take the call.
“I was in class. Coach Sark had FaceTimed me. He stated talking to me, gave me the offer,” Golden said. “It caught me off guard. I was happy. I feel like that’s what I deserve. It feels good to talk to coach Sark.”
“He said he can see me in the offense, the way they like to throw the ball a lot. He likes my game, the way I attack the ball, my speed.”
Golden said Texas will definitely get an official visit at some point, but he doesn’t have a date lined up yet. He also plans to visit Houston and then will figure out if he’s going to take his last two. The former TCU commit has already visited that program and he did say TCU is “still in the picture.”
At this point, Golden doesn’t have a pecking order of favorite teams, but Texas fits squarely in the mix.
“I feel like they’re high on my list. I don’t have any top schools right now, but most definitely they’re high on my list,” Golden said.
Coming from the same school as Texas running back commitment Jaydon Blue, Golden said the two have talked about playing together for a while.
“We’ve been talking about it for a long time. He’s happy for me, said he wants me to come home too,” Golden said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Golden will decide in December and assuming he sets up a Texas official visit for either this month or early December, the Longhorns would appear to be in a good position.
******
(Patterson)
Arlington Seguin defensive back Jamel Johnson became the first prospect to join the Longhorns’ 2023 recruiting class after announcing his decision on Thursday morning. Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M were some of the other notable programs that offered and recruited Johnson.
Ultimately, the opportunity to stay in the state and play for Texas was too much for Johnson to pass up on, despite pushes from other top programs. The talented junior was recruited to potentially play multiple positions in the defensive backfield once he steps foot on the 40 Acres.
“They like the way that I can play three positions: corner, nickel, and safety. (Jeff) Banks, (Blake) Gideon, Sark, they all talk to me,” Johnson recently told Orangebloods regarding how the Longhorns are recruiting him.
Orangebloods had the opportunity to talk with Arlington Seguin head coach Joe Gordon about Johnson as a player and his decision to commit to Texas. Gordon was a standout defensive back at Kansas State, so he is very familiar with impressive DB play.
“He's ready to play ball and he's an instinctive athletic player. You know, very instinctive,” Gordon told OB about what makes Johnson so good on the football field. “He's one of those guys that has a knack for the football. He's going to find a football.
“He's going to create the turnovers, force fumbles or interceptions. He can take a punt return to the house. He's just one of those guys that makes plays.”
Gordon said that Seguin uses Johnson’s talents all over the field – at multiple spots in the secondary and on offense – and that Johnson welcomes the challenge.
“You know, we don't we don't have all the numbers as some of the schools (do). So, our kids play both ways. JJ, no exception to that rule,” Gordon said. “And it really helps our football program.
“About five to 10 times a game (on offense) and then also let him you know, go out there and play defense like he plays. You know, we feel as though we get the best of both worlds. We get to maximize his talents.”
Steve Sarkisian is one of the many head coaches that have built a relationship with Gordon while recruiting Johnson during the process. Sarkisian and Gordon actually a go back to their playing days, as Sarkisian’s BYU’s squad played against Gordon’s Kansas State team.
“Well, I've known coach Sark for some time now. We played against each other in college. I was an All-American cornerback. He was an All-American quarterback, so I’ve known him since then,” Gordon said. “Just watching his career progress and watching him do things he's done at the different stops. He's done it.
“You know, it's been fun to watch. And so I've got great confidence in him in the direction that he's taking their program. I think he's a good fit. I think he's assembled a great staff. And I think, you know, we're all excited about what's to come down the road and having us be a part of that transition. It's exciting for us as well.”
As a successful player on the collegiate level, Gordon knows what it takes to succeed in the secondary at the highest level. The Cougars head coach points to a few different traits and one particular matchup that points to why Johnson is a big pickup for the Longhorns.
Arlington Seguin took on Aledo last season in which Johnson’s talents were put to the test. Gordon and his staff gave Johnson the task of defending Aledo’s elite wide receiver, JoJo Earle as just a sophomore.
“The first thing I look for is football intelligence. He's got the intelligence, he's got the quick twitch, you know. He's a long guy, he's wound up tight – so, he has a quick twitch, which allows him to have a burst to get in and out of breaks and helps him to really play, you know, solid man-to-man coverage because it's quick twitch, speed, and length,” Gordon said regarding what makes Johnson successful.
“And then his intelligence, being able to line up the quarterback or safety and take away half the field at any time, or just, you know, eliminate a receiver. That helps you out a lot.
Earle was held to just one catch for 16 yards in their matchup during the 2020 season, according to Gordon. The former Aledo star went on to sign with Alabama in the 2021 cycle and has played significant snaps for Nick Saban during his first season.
“One of the first times I think that he showcased that ability was going against JoJo Earle last year. We were playing a man-to-man the whole game against the guy who is starting in the SEC. And he did that as a sophomore,” Johnson said. “So I think that kind of shows his abilities and some of the things that he brings to the table.
“He’ll be ready to go to the next level and shine.”
*****
Rivals caught up with St. Louis (Mo.) St. Mary's wide receiver Kevin Coleman this week to get the latest on his recruitment (you can read the full story right here).
Among the highlights of the interview:
* “I am taking official visits to Oregon, USC and Texas real soon,” Coleman stated. “I am planning on seeing if I am going to Alabama or not. I will be at Oregon on Nov. 13 and USC on Nov. 20.”
* On Texas: “Coach Sark (Sarkisian) is a big factor. He is one of the best offensive minded coaches in college football history. Look at his background at USC and Bama, the numbers improved when he got there. He is a cool person and good guy to talk to; that is a big thing. Texas is a big program and a big stage to play on with great fans.”
* On USC: “Big things are happening with coach Dante (Williams) becoming interim head coach. He is a great guy. He recruited me when he was at Oregon. He has kept the relationship. That is the big thing, he kept in touch with me. Communication is important. As soon as he got to USC, I got the offer. He is always looking out for me and is loyal to me.”
* On Oregon: “It was a dream come true. Oregon was a dream school growing up as a kid. Besides watching Cam Newton at Auburn, Oregon was my other school. They have great coaches and great facilities. When I was there, I met coach (Mario) Cristobal and the whole staff; they were great. They are great people. And I got to see the track and field. I loved it.”
On FSU: "“I love the coaching staff and environment. (Five-star) Travis Hunter is a good brother. He is best on the defensive side of the ball, and I am the best on the offensive side; we can get each other ready every day for the next level in college.”"
On his decision: "I have to commit and sign on Dec. 17 as an early enrollee,” Coleman said. “I will announce at the All-American Game.”
*****
(Womack)
Hoops Recruiting update
2022
Texas target, five-star F Jarace Walker committed to Houston tonight on Paul Biancardi’s IG live stream. He eliminated Texas from his top three schools, which were Auburn, Alabama, and U of H. He most recently visited Houston’s campus and it apparently moved the needle for him.
Five-star G Cason Wallace commits Nov. 7. All indications continue to be that he will sign with Kentucky. Don’t expect anything to change here.
I talked about G/F Anthony Black’s situation last week a bit, and he is still ruled ineligible to play this season for Duncanville. Hopefully, the UIL comes to its senses and allows him to play. For more information, read this.
F Sam Murray II and F Trae Clayton are still options that are high on the Longhorns. Trying to get more information on these guys - I’ll have more on them next week.
F Eric Dailey from IMG Academy is still a Michigan lean.
2023
Today, Texas offered four-star F Sean Stewart from Windermere, FL. Stewart is a member of AAU squad Each 1 Teach 1, the same team that produced Dillon Mitchell, the Longhorns basketball commit in the class of 2022, and that Ulric Maligi has close ties to. He holds offers from many top programs, including Florida, Duke, Michigan, Kansas, and Alabama.
*****
(Rochman)
After a rain delay pushed the series back a day, the Texas Longhorns took the diamond Thursday night to begin their annual “Fall World Series scrimmage. The format of this series is a two team system splitting players on the roster between the two squads and having the teams then face off in a three game series.
The teams for the series can be found here:
The Orange team ran away with Game 1 in dominant fashion. The game was a regular nine innings, and ended 13-7. The game was largely in Orange’s control the whole way, but both teams got some solid production at the plate, in total there was a combined 28 hits for the day.
Pitching was a mild concern for the day, too often there were opportunities to drive in runs and there were issues in regards to control leading to a plethora of walks on the day as well. Texas has plenty of arms, and plenty of different faces took the mound today for experience, but still a better pitching outing should have been had.
Orangebloods Spotlight:
Melendez got a knock in his first at bat and had a couple of walks as well. He got his action in the field at third base demonstrating plenty of versatility as he held down the position well. Overall, Melendez had a very nice bounce back performance in Game 1 that should instill confidence for the rest of fall ball.
Rochman Grade: B, I wouldn’t say he dominated today or even outshined his first outing which got him a B-. However, working at a different position than usual for fall ball, and bouncing back from a bad outing gets him a good bump.
Player of the Game:
Another outing where this contest isn’t close, Murphy Stehly was lights out tonight including a double and triple in his scorecard. Stehly offers versatility in the field, and with the performance at the plate tonight, it’ll be hard for him not to find a spot in this lineup.
Outlook:
It’s exciting to see the teams play, the bats were going and the energy was high for both sides. However, I am hoping to see a bit more from the pitching staff in the final two games. The lineup can keep up with anyone it seems, but the question now falls on rounding out the pitching unit for the season, and if it will be strong enough to result in a championship, because that’s where all expectations should be for this team.
Up Next:
The Longhorns are back at it again tomorrow night at 6 PM for Game 2. The penultimate match of fall ball should continue to have a similar chilly atmosphere as tonight with the later part of the game getting into the low 50s. We shall see if the result ends up any different.
