Five things we've learned about Texas football since Spring ball ended
Spring football ended six weeks ago. As we countdown the days until the season begins, here are some things we’ve learned about Texas football since the players last put on the pads.
1. Sark confident post-Spring ball
Spring ball ended on April 15. In May, Steve Sarkisian made the rounds to speak to Texas fans and donors. Stops included Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston. Common themes emerged from those engagements: Sark is clearly confident in the progress the program has made since his arrival in January 2021. Not only does Sark think he has considerably improved the roster talent, he also likes where the program is from a culture standpoint.
One of the clear signs of culture is the fact only a couple of players headed for the exits during the May portal window, and that was needed for Texas to get under the 85-man scholarship limit.
2. New analysts
During May the program added a few analysts to the staff, with two of them being eye-catching. Accomplished former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst will lend his expertise to the offensive side of the ball. Long-time NFL special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will assist Jeff Banks in that phase of the game. Sark also added Payam Saadat to help on the defensive side of the ball.
The addition of Chryst is on par with adding Gary Patterson for the 2022 season. Clearly Sark has a ‘team of rivals’ mindset in which strong personalities are welcome, provided they bring knowledge and experience with them. In combination with Kyle Flood, Texas has two of the very best offensive line minds in the country on the same staff.
3. Vegas bullish on UT’s Big 12 title chances
As Paul Wadlington wrote, “Texas is the overwhelming favorite. If you think the analysts at Inside Texas have been irresponsibly guzzling the Kool-Aid, Vegas is imbibing as well. Yes, Texas is a public betting team and that does create noise around the signal, but even after you adjust for that the Horns are the clear preseason anointed. The drop off from Texas to the next betting tiers is precipitous.”
4. Trill Carter bolsters D-line depth
In the process of landing the defensive lineman from Minnesota, Texas landed directly on the 85-man scholarship limit. Carter was a two-year starter in the Big Ten on some quality Golden Gopher defenses. He likely won’t start at Texas, but with two years of eligibility remaining he’s going to play a good amount of snaps as a Longhorn. Initial expectations are for about 20-25 snaps a game.
Even more important than 2023 will be Carter’s impact on 2024 after the depth chart thins some after this season.
It’s not easy to find defensive linemen in the portal, but in Carter, Texas was able to land one with a known good floor. There’s very little projection needed.
5. Solid forward planning for June official visitors
June is THE MONTH for official visit activity. Texas only hosted one visitor this past weekend, but it was a big one in tight end Ryner Swanson from Southern California. With June visitors known we get a clear view of the names on the staff’s big board.
The two big weekends to watch are June 16-18 and June 23-25. Texas has to have a good month so it can take advantage of the new Summer decision timeline so many prospects find themselves on.
Major needs in the class include Edge (both Jack and Buck) and interior defensive line. Texas has a number of quality players coming in this month who would fill those needs, but as we know, D-line recruiting is often filled with pitfalls as scarcity drives the roller coaster.
Texas has to capitalize on the opportunity June presents.
One bonus item
But this one isn’t about Texas, it’s about UT’s September 9 opponent, Alabama. Legendary coach Nick Saban is going into this season with his most unsettled quarterback situation in years. In an attempt to clear things up, he may have muddied the view with the addition of former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner. On the surface Buchner seems like a reach, but Tommy Rees knows him quite well given he was Buchner’s OC in South Bend.
Buchner will compete with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Simpson is the most talented of the group but he’s inexperienced.
To add insult to injury, Steve Sarkisian just landed the top quarterback in Alabama’s backyard for the 2025 class. K.J. Lacey selecting Texas wasn’t just a surprise in this region.
Alabama is still recruiting at a high level but something seems off with the machine.
