Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian needed some advice during his first spring on the Forty Acres, so he called his old boss and mentor, Pete Carroll, from the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on University Avenue in Austin. Sark told the former USC head man that his Longhorns were responding better to what they did under past coaches than what the new staff wanted to implement.
“Pete said, ‘The reality is that you can do what they did before, but you must be willing to accept similar results. Or you can do what you believe in knowing that there will be some storms along the way, but also knowing that you’ll be better off for it,’” Sarkisian said in the spring. “We went with what I believe in, and we got what we were looking for on the field.”
Staying true to Sarkisian’s core beliefs acquired while working for Carroll and Nick Saban resulted in the Longhorns winning a Big 12 championship for the first time since 2009. The 9-1 mark in conference play was also the first time Texas lost fewer than two Big 12 games since 2009. A 12-win regular season also resulted in the program’s first College Football Playoff.
The evolution wasn’t televised, however. That happened behind the scenes. Sarkisian inherited a team devoid of enough offensive linemen to hold a traditional spring game back in 2021. Texas went 5-7 in Sark’s first year in charge after blowing multiple halftime leads to Big 12 foes. By 2023, his offensive line was in the running for the Joe Moore Award and his defensive line included the Outland Trophy winner in T’Vondre Sweat and a future first round NFL Draft pick in Byron Murphy.
“I felt better in Year 1 than most because most people look at the result, which is the record, and I was looking under the hood every day and felt good about where we were at in the process,” Sarkisian said. “We were playing good football, especially in the first half of games. We didn’t know how to finish and how to win and how to sustain quality play for an extended period of time.”
After summiting in their final climb in the Big 12, the Longhorns turn their attention to becoming SEC champions as first-year members. The Texas program is accustomed to reaching new heights quickly. It won the last Southwest Conference championship and the first Big 12 crown. A similar double would put Texas into national championship contention with a likely bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
As recently as two seasons ago, the belief that Texas could waltz into the SEC and immediately compete with Georgia, Alabama, and LSU would result in laughs. Not anymore. The Longhorns return a third-year starter at quarterback in Quinn Ewers and four starters along the offensive line, including a future first round NFL pick at left tackle in Kelvin Banks. The loss of Sweat and Murphy on the interior of the defensive line are massive holes, but big men such as Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton are ready for their turn in the spotlight at defensive tackle.
“You can go little league football, high school, college, NFL – if you are really good at the line of scrimmage and at quarterback, you can win a lot of games,” Sarkisian said. “That is where the game is won and lost the majority of time. The best teams I’ve been a part of, we’ve always been good up front and we’ve had good quarterback play.”
Sarkisian can barely recognize the program he inherited. The linemen are bigger and stronger. The skill position players are more athletic. The team wins close games and beats tough teams. High expectations are now seen as a reward, not a burden. Texas didn’t shy away from the bullseye on its back during the last run in the Big 12, and it doesn’t sound like the Longhorns are interested in hiding from the excitement of proving themselves worthy in the SEC.
“Even though we have a target on our back, why not put one on their back,” starting center Jake Majors said. “That’s the mentality we’re taking into the SEC. I don’t think we’ve always had that mentality but it is letting us get to where we want to be.”
OFFENSE
MVP - QB Quinn Ewers
The Longhorns return starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and four of their five starting offensive linemen from a 2023 offense that ranked 15th nationally with 35.8 points per game. Ewers enters his junior season on the Forty Acres as a Heisman Trophy candidate and a potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He’ll work behind an offensive line anchored by potential All-American left tackle Kelvin Banks. Guards Hayden Conner and DJ Campbell also return to their starting roles, as does center Jake Majors. Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson provide depth on the interior. Right tackle is an open competition with junior Cam Williams the favorite to start in Week 1. He’s being pushed by freshmen Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker.
“Football games are won in the trenches,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We feel as good about our group as anyone in the country. This is where we’ve wanted to be as a team since I arrived at Texas.”
The Longhorns did lose most of their production at the skill positions with the likes of Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, JT Sanders, and Jonathon Brooks off to the NFL. Sarkisian feels confident in the running back duo of CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue. The two became the focus of the Longhorn running game late in the season when Brooks was lost to a season-ending injury. That experience in games like the Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl can’t hurt.
Texas reloaded at wide receiver and tight end through the Transfer Portal. The offense added wide receivers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston), and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) to a position unit that includes potential stars in Johntay Cook and Ryan Wingo. Amari Niblack (Alabama) was added to the tight end room where he’ll compete with Gunnar Helm for snaps.
Position Group Ratings
QB: A
RB: B+
WR/TE: A
OL: A+
Breakout Candidates
WR Johntay Cook II - The former five-star recruit and state champion from DeSoto played in all 14 games as a true freshman and ended the season with eight catches for 136 yards. His role will increase as a sophomore.
TE Juan Davis – Sarkisian believes the former Everton standout’s patience will be rewarded with a larger role in 2024. He was a high school quarterback who spent most of his first three seasons at Texas helping on special teams.
RB Jaydon Blue – Baxter likely gets the starting role for the Longhorns, but Texas fans saw Blue’s big-play potential late in the 2023 season. He’ll register well over 100 carries.
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. – The former four-star feels like a forgotten man in wide receiver conversations about the Longhorns. He’s a former high four-star recruit with potential that can’t be ignored.
Keep An Eye On
The 60 catches by the tight end position in 2023 accounted for 19 percent of Texas’ completions. Sanders caught 75 percent of those receptions. No matter how good the run game is and how explosive the wide receivers are, the Longhorns want to use their tight ends to create mismatches in the run and pass game. That means Helm, Niblack and Davis must replace the production Sanders is taking to the NFL. Helm caught 14 passes and two touchdowns last year. Niblack caught 20 passes and four touchdowns at Alabama. Davis was mostly a special teams contributor in his first three years on the Forty Acres.
Projected Starters
QB: 3 Quinn Ewers Jr.
RB: 4 CJ Baxter Soph.
WR: 7 Isaiah Bond Jr.
WR: 2 Matthew Golden Jr.
WR: 0 Silas Bolden Jr.
TE: 8 Amari Niblack Jr.
LT: 78 Kelvin Banks Jr.
LG: 76 Hayden Conner Sr.
C: 65 Jake Majors Sr.
RG: 52 DJ Campbell 52 Jr.
RT: 56 Cam Williams Jr.
K: 45 Bert Auburn Jr.
DEFENSE
MVP - DB Jahdae Barron is one of the top defensive backs in the FBS.
The Longhorns were one of 20 FBS programs to allow fewer than 20 points per game last season, checking in at 15th nationally while allowing 18.9. The strength of the unit was obvious – the defensive tackle room led by Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat and first round NFL Draft pick Byron Murphy. Texas was the third best rushing defense in the country.
The unit should excel again in 2024, though it’ll need Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton to reinforce the middle of the trenches. On top of the transition on the field, former defensive line coach Bo Davis returned to his alma mater (LSU) and was replaced by Kenny Baker. Collins and Broughton are both seniors who waited their turn behind Moro Ojomo, Keondre Coburn, Sweat, and Murphy.
“We don’t see it as pressure,” Broughton said of carrying on the tradition in the middle. “This is what we’ve worked for the last few years. It is our time now and there won’t be a drop off.”
UTSA transfer Trey Moore – the 2023 AAC Defensive Player of the Year – transferred to Texas to help generate pass rush. He’ll compete for snaps on the edge with Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke. Former five-star linebacker Anthony Hill is poised for an all-conference season as a sophomore and is also a stud pass rusher. He’ll be flanked by veteran David Gbenda at linebacker, who replaces the productive Jaylan Ford.
The Longhorns needed to improve in the secondary and the group should be much more athletic this season. Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba is an upgrade at safety. Derek Williams, Jahdae Barron, and Michael Taaffe also return at safety. Barron should start at the SPUR position (nickel) again. The cornerback room must replace starter Terrance Brooks, who transferred after the spring game.
Position Group Ratings
DL: A-
LB: B+
DB: A
ST: A
Breakout Candidates
DT Bill Norton – The Longhorns added a pair of interior defensive linemen from Arizona in Norton and Tiaoalii Savea. They’re additions allow young bucks Aaron Bryant and Sydir Mitchell more time to mature into SEC defensive tackles.
LB Liona Lefau – A second-year linebacker who played in 14 games last season, mostly on special teams. He might be the long-term partner at linebacker next to Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Morice Blackwell – Sarkisian says that Blackwell is poised for his biggest season as a Longhorn in his senior year. The former defensive back is a versatile weapon for the Texas defense.
DB Jelani McDonald – A Swiss-Army knife defender with unlimited potential as a linebacker/safety hybrid. The 6-2 McDonald is a long, rangy player with pass rushing and coverage skills.
Keep An Eye On
The Texas secondary was the weak spot on the defense in 2023. The Longhorns allowed the third-fewest rushing yards as a defense last season while giving up the 116th-most passing yards. The secondary looked like a problem spot in a high-scoring spring game on the 40 Acres and that was before starting cornerback Terrance Brooks entered the portal. Texas wants to be a national championship contender in its first season as SEC members and those expectations may hinge on defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s secondary, specifically the cornerback position. Sophomore Malik Muhammad figures to lock down one of the two starting spots.
Projected Starters
JACK: Barryn Sorrell Sr.
DT: 95 Alfred Collins Sr.
NT: 45 Vernon Broughton Sr.
BUCK: 31 Trey Moore Jr.
LB: 0 Anthony Hill Jr. Soph.
LB: 33 David Gbenda Sr.
NB: 7 Jahdae Barron Sr.
CB: 9 Gavin Holmes Sr.
CB: 5 Manny Muhammad Soph.
FS: 2 Derek Williams Jr. Soph.
SS: 13 Andrew Mukuba Sr.
P: X Michael Kern Fr.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Texas offensive lineman Jake Majors sits at a table in the middle of the Superdome in New Orleans for Sugar Bowl Media Day and shakes his head while saying, “these young guys don’t know how good they’ve got it,” when asked about the evolution within the Longhorn program since he arrived as a three-star center prospect in the 2020 class. “There were some dark days, for sure.”
Linebacker David Gbenda is the only player left on the 40 Acres who signed in the 2019 cycle. Majors, a Prosper product, and Alfred Collins remain from the 2020 cycle. The trio went through a coaching change when Tom Herman was replaced by Steve Sarkisian. They suffered through a 5-7 2021 season, Sarkisian’s first in charge, and went a combined 4-10 in one-possession games from 2021-22.
Maybe those outside the Texas program needed the Big 12 Championship or the Sugar Bowl berth to realize that the Longhorns were back in national contention, but not Majors. His lightbulb moment took place in an eight-win 2022 season when Texas traveled to Kansas State and knocked off a ranked Wildcats team that ended up winning the conference.
“It felt like a game that we used to lose,” Majors said, “and that told me our culture was starting to change and it is paying off.”
Well before NIL, Texas always had Ferrari’s in the garage. They were Vince Young and Cedric Benson and Roy Williams. Even in down years, the Longhorns rarely lacked sports cars at wide receiver or defensive back. It was the pick-up trucks that Texas lacked. The Longhorns needed some beef. Some toughness. Sure, the five-stars are fun to watch, but a five-star culture requires a few dudes willing to do the dirty work. And that’s why Majors remains the starting center at Texas despite the new and shiny recruits brought in to replace him every cycle.
“I love being the underdog,” Majors said. “It is a mindset that I’ve adapted. Being able to go out there and prove people wrong is something I’ve done my whole career here. That stuff fuels me.”
Majors won’t need much fuel in 2024. He enters his final season on the 40 Acres with a chance to make more history.
“One of the main reasons I came back was to be part of history as the first Texas team in history to play in the SEC,” he said.
CEILING/FLOOR
Ceiling – 12-0
A national championship is the ceiling for this Longhorn team. Even with an SEC schedule, an undefeated season isn’t impossible. Texas plays Georgia at home and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl and is likely favored in 10 or 11 regular season games even with a road trip to Michigan in Week 2.
Floor – 8-4
Football is a violent sport and injuries can always derail expectations. Even a team as deep and talented as the Longhorns aren’t immune. The Michigan game isn’t a layup despite a rebuilt roster and coaching staff for the Wolverines. Add in games against Oklahoma, Georgia, and trips to Arkansas and A&M in renewed rivalries.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
The headline of Texas’ voyage into SEC waters is the return of the rivalry game against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving weekend. The Longhorns also travel to former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas in November. The season starts with a home opener against Colorado State, but it is the Week 2 trip to Michigan that’ll draw national viewers. Texas plays Oklahoma and Georgia in consecutive weeks starting Oct. 12 at the Cotton Bowl. Sark’s squad also hosts Florida, Mississippi State, and Kentucky in 2024. The only other true road game in SEC play outside of Arkansas and A&M is at Vanderbilt on Oct. 26.
2023 SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Sept. 2 Rice W, 37-10
Sept. 9 at Alabama W, 34-24
Sept. 16 Wyoming W, 31-10
Sept. 23 at Baylor W 38-6
Sept. 30 Kansas W, 40-14
Oct. 7 Oklahoma (Dallas) L, 34-30
Oct. 21 at Houston W, 31-24
Oct. 28 BYU W, 35-6
Nov. 4 Kansas State W, 33-30 (OT)
Nov. 11 at TCU W, 29-26
Nov. 18 at Iowa State W, 26-16
Nov. 24 Texas Tech W, 57-7
Dec. 2 Oklahoma State (Big 12 championship) W, 49-21
Jan. 1 Washington (Sugar Bowl, CFP semifinal) L, 37-31
2024 PREDICTIONS
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Aug. 31 Colorado State W
Sept. 7 at Michigan W
Sept. 14 UTSA W
Sept. 21 Louisiana-Monroe W
Sept. 28 Mississippi State W
Oct. 12 Oklahoma (Dallas) W
Oct. 19 Georgia L
Oct. 26 at Vanderbilt W
Nov. 9 Florida W
Nov. 16 at Arkansas W
Nov. 23 Kentucky W
Nov. 30 at Texas A&M W
Record: 11-1 (7-1)
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