The first season under Steve Sarkisian has gotten out of hand, and very well could be one of the most disappointing teams in memory.
After moving on from Tom Herman for going 7-3 last season, and returning a ton of his players, there was a thought that Sarkisian and his staff would hit the ground running and make some noise right away. They have made noise alright, but rather than a sweet symphony, it is an elementary school band playing Hot Cross Buns for the first time.
Sarkisian may consider looking at his staff, specifically at defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, but if we have learned anything from this season along with the ones prior, making a change immediately after something goes wrong doesn’t always work.
Texas has had no consistency within their staff, as even prior to Sarkisian coming in, this group had already experienced three defensive coordinators and two offensive coordinators under Herman.
The program and fans need to give Sarkisian time to build. This method of having to chase someone out of town every year is why this program is a meme. Those top recruits that people think Texas should be in the mix for do not want to play for a different coach every couple years, they want to see a fan base and program that will give their coach time to build something great.
It’s something that Sarkisian is already talking about, as he addressed how many new players he wants on the roster for next year.
Sark on roster turnover: "I could easily see us with 33 new scholarship players on our roster next fall."
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) November 15, 2021
Now 33 is certainly a large number, but that includes the 2022 recruiting class and a plethora of transfers coming in. It’s a method that we have seen schools like Michigan State and Oklahoma thrive off of.
The Longhorns need to address three main needs first and foremost. Offensive line, defensive line, and quarterback are all where Sarkisian needs immediate action to be taken.
With him planning on bringing in this many new faces, it is safe to assume Texas will be experiencing a ton of attrition whether it be players leaving for the NFL or hitting the transfer portal. That is typically to be expected under a new coaching staff.
The transfer portal is a great resource if used correctly, it is just a matter of bringing in as many experienced and talented players as possible and going from there.
Either way, Texas’ roster will look very different next year, and with players who are actually bought in to Sarkisian and his teachings, it could lead to something special.
This is a part of the process now-a-days, coaches need time to operate and determine what works and what doesn’t. Sarkisian inheriting a veteran-heavy roster was thought to be a positive in terms of success on the field, but now it is viewed as a positive because he has a great opportunity to revamp this roster and have it look completely different come spring.