Tag: Steve Sarkisian

Former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst makes return to Wisconsin

LOOK: Former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst makes return to Wisconsin

Former Wisconsin Badgers head coach Paul Chryst was spotted at the Green Bay Packers‘ organized team activities on Tuesday.

It is his first public football-related appearance in the state of Wisconsin since he was fired as Badgers head coach in October 2022.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

The Packers’ optional offseason practice session runs from May 20 to June 6 before mandatory minicamp begins on June 11. Chryst appears to be in attendance only as a spectator as he prepares for his second season on the Texas Longhorns‘ coaching staff.

The longtime Wisconsin head coach holds the title offensive analyst and special assistant to the head coach with the Longhorns. He joined the program in 2023 after being fired as Wisconsin head coach the prior season.

During Chryst’s first year at Texas, the team won the Big 12 and reached the College Football Playoff. Expectations are sky-high entering 2024, which will be Year 4 under head coach Steve Sarkisian and Year 3 with star quarterback Quinn Ewers under center.

Related: Where Paul Chryst, Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin football’s entire 2022 coaching staff is now

There were offseason rumors connecting Chryst with Iowa’s vacant offensive coordinator position. He passed on the position and remain at Texas, which led the Hawkeyes to hire former Western Michigan head coach (2017-2022) and Packers senior analyst (2023) Tim Lester.

Of note, Chryst is a Madison, Wisconsin, native and still has deep ties to the state. His appearance at Packers OTAs marks his first football-related appearance in the state in some time. There has not been a public connection between him and the Badgers program since he was fired 18 months ago.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, prepares for Year 2 under head coach Luke Fickell after a 7-6 2023 campaign. The program needs a resurgent season as the Big Ten enters its new era.

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Former All-American CB discusses Texas QB Quinn Ewers’ offseason

Rod Babers discusses where Ewers needs to make strides in going through progressions.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is talented. Even so, his ability to process defenses past first and second progressions has held him back. That might not be the case in 2024.

Former Longhorn and 2002 All-American cornerback Rod Babers is looking at where Ewers needs to make strides in going through progressions. He discussed head coach Steve Sarkisian’s emphasis on improvement in reading defenses in 2024.

“Here’s what (Sarkisian) said that was key. ‘There’s always room for improvement. … We’re really on Quinn about now we’re getting to the second and third reads. Let’s be so (comfortable) that we’re getting to the third and fourth reads, and at times the fifth reads, finding that rhythm and the ball getting out of his hands.”

That progression, Babers states, would increase NFL scouts’ confidence in the signal caller. More than that, it would likely help Texas’ on the field prospects in the upcoming season.

Ewers is trying to shake the one-read quarterback narrative, Babers mentions, which at the present moment is fair. Sarkisian put forth a simplified offense for the former five-star recruit that was heavy in run-pass option reads. While the RPO is still an effective play, becoming better at more multi-read passing plays can allow the offense to open up further and prevent defenses from sitting on shorter routes.

Co-host CJ Vogel points out Ewers’ penchant for taking off and running after a first or second read isn’t there. The pocket passer had enough athleticism to make that a dangerous play for Texas last season, but being able hit a third progression and get the ball to a better athlete at receiver could take the offense to another level.

Texas’ high ceiling is in many ways dependent on Ewers taking the next step at quarterback. If he does, you could see improvement in red zone scoring, points per game and explosiveness for the Longhorns offense.

Defensive lineman Jermayne Lole flips commitment from Oklahoma to Texas

Oklahoma saw one of their new defensive line transfer portal additions flip his commitment to the rival Texas Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had one of their newest defensive linemen depart the team via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. [autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] has flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to the Texas Longhorns.

Lole announced the move via social media. He heads south to Austin before ever playing a snap for the Sooners. Both programs are entering their first season in the SEC.

Lole committed to the Sooners out of the transfer portal on April 22, but the senior, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has changed his mind just two and a half weeks later.

 

Lole produced at a high level at Arizona State before injuries limited him the previous few seasons. As a true sophomore in 2019, Lole recorded 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He played at Louisville in 2023, recording 19 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Lole was one of many high-profile additions to the Oklahoma defensive line in the 2024 recruiting and portal cycles for [autotag]Brent Venables [/autotag] and his staff. However, the addition of Damonic Williams last week creates a logjam at defensive tackle. A good problem to have, yes, but it can lead to situations like this.

He’ll suit up in the burnt orange for Steve Sarkisian, and the Sooners will see Lole on Oct. 12 in Dallas.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Opinion: ‘Georgia before they became Georgia’ is premature for Texas

It’s too early to call Texas what Georgia was before the 2021 season, but they have potential to win a title with Sarkisian.

The hype for the Texas Longhorns football program is explosive. Fox Sports host RJ Young and The Athletic writer Andy Staples have stoked the fire this offseason.

Young and Staples discussed Texas’ potential on RJ Young’s college football segment of The Number One College Football Show. In it, both bought in to the concept that the Longhorns are similar to Kirby Smart’s Georgia before the Bulldogs won their first national title.

There’s “proof of concept” in Austin, Andy Staples suggests. The Longhorns have won a conference title and 12 games, including a double-digit road win over fellow playoff team Alabama. They made their first College Football Playoff last season.

Few teams can claim the same success with their current coaches staff. Albeit, there is still more to prove for Texas as it looks to take the next step.

The talent and depth is there for head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team heading into a fourth season on the Forty Acres. The majority of those that naysay that assertion have allegiance to the team in Norman or College Station. They were the loudest to reject Texas’ ability to win a Big 12 title or 10 games, much less 12, only a season ago. They struck out swinging.

The question for Sarkisian’s program is year-to-year consistency.

Consistency has been an issue for starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, though it has improved. Andy Staples’ hesitation on Texas revolves around whether or not Ewers can take a step to the next level. It’s a fair question.

Texas’ ability to elevate to a national title contender hinges on Ewers improving at a rate similar to last year’s trajectory. You might know the statistical improvement he made last season. Ewers improved from a 58.1% completion rate to 69% in 2023. That’s a playoff caliber mark. So, too, was Ewers’ 8.8 yards per attempt a season ago. Even so, playoff caliber and title contending production are two different things.

Ewers passed for just 22 touchdowns last season. That’s a borderline at best mark for a playoff contending quarterback. The number might have to improve, and so does his play at the beginning of games.

The Texas offense notoriously endured slow starts in the 2023 season against Rice, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Washington. It needs its quarterback to move from a game manager of the offense to one who can take complex defensive looks in stride. The inability to do so made Rice and Wyoming games tense in first halves and led to losses against Oklahoma and Washington.

The receiving corps is there for Ewers to have a more explosive season despite what some suggest. Transfer receivers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and Matthew Golden (Houston) add three productive power conference starters to the fold.

Five-star Ryan Wingo joins blue chip talents in Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore have emerged as players who look to have a path to significant playing time. They should have plenty of time to get open behind one of college football’s most experienced and talented offensive lines.

Texas has the players to become a title winner in one of the next few seasons. The talent is being developed. 11 players were selected in the 2024 NFL draft. Several more are expected to be drafted over the next two departing classes. That said, they will need to duplicate success which won’t be easy in a more competitive Southeastern Conference.

Texas probably isn’t the next Georgia. But it could be a title contender in 2024. It simply needs to continue along the same trajectory that saw the team go from an 8-5 season to 12 wins in 2023.

Former Longhorns Brooks, Sanders excited to play for Carolina Panthers

Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian was able to instill a “dog mentality” in a few of his players.

Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian was able to instill a “dog mentality” in a few of his players. Continue reading “Former Longhorns Brooks, Sanders excited to play for Carolina Panthers”

Is Texas HC Steve Sarkisian the best developer in program history?

Sarkisian is doing what hasn’t been done in player development on the Forty Acres in a long time.

Steve Sarkisian’s staff might be the best developing group of coaches in the history of Texas football. In just three years in Austin, the Longhorns head coach sent 11 players to a single NFL draft class.

Legendary head coach Mack Brown coached at Texas from 1998 to 2013, won a national championship and compiled nine straight 10-win seasons. His best draft class sent seven players to the NFL in 2007.

Sarkisian’s 2024 class got to five selections in the second round when wide receiver Adonai Mitchell became the No. 52 overall pick.

There are ways in which Sarkisian can improve as head coach. Growth in game management could win him a first national title. Albeit, Sarkisian doesn’t appear to lack in producing NFL caliber players or knowing which coaches to hire in developing them.

Several success stories headline the 2024 draft class the Texas head coach just sent to the league. Offensive tackle Christian Jones and defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat were once talented players who just couldn’t put it all together. Wide receiver Jordan Whittington was once an injury prone player. Linebacker Jaylan Ford and Byron Murphy were unheralded three-stars. All were developed and drafted under the same head coach, special teams coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

Sarkisian still has work to do for Texas to realize the success he hopes to achieve in Austin. Nevertheless, he’s doing what hasn’t been done in development in Austin since the early 1980s and the Longhorns are in position for sustained success because of it.

Sarkisian’s coaching staff has seen coaches come and go, but with one constant: Sarkisian’s staff has developed players perhaps better than any Longhorns coaching staff that came before. It will look to continue that trend moving forward.

Jaguars draft Texas RB Keilan Robinson in fifth round of NFL draft

In back to back seasons, RBU sends two running backs to the NFL draft.

Keilan Robinson is a Jacksonville Jaguar. The Texas running back was selected as the No. 167 pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Robinson continues the Longhorns’ success sending running backs to the NFL draft. Running backs coach Tashard Choice has now had two running backs drafted in consecutive drafts.

The speedy Texas running back excelled as a kick returner at Texas. Robinson maximized his 5-foot-9 and 188 pound frame into an explosive season in his final year in Austin.

Robinson only saw 12 carries but made the most of them rushing for three touchdowns including a 57-yard touchdown run to help put the Big 12 championship game out of reach. It was one of two rushing touchdowns for the running back in the conference title game.

The Longhorn joins a rising Jacksonville franchise led by former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Robinson will look to make an impact in the return game for the Jaguars.

With the pick, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s third Longhorns draft class has eight players. The total eclipses former head coach Mack Brown’s best draft class at Texas that had seven selections in 2007.

Five Longhorns selected within first 52 picks of 2024 NFL draft

Player development at Texas is at an all-time high.

After Texas did not have a single player selected in 2022, the Longhorns have been well-represented in the 2024 NFL draft. It’s a testament to the player development under Steve Sarkisian’s staff over the last few years.

Texas has had five players selected within the first 52 picks. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy was the first Longhorn off the board to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to snag speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round with pick No. 28.

Day 2 has been a busy one for former Longhorns as well. Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (Tennessee Titans), running back Jonathon Brooks (Carolina Panthers) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (Indianapolis Colts) were all selected in the second round.

For two straight NFL drafts, the Longhorns have now produced the No. 1 running back off the board. Bijan Robinson went No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and Brooks was the first running back taken off the board to the Panthers in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The future is bright for the Texas football program.

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Sarkisian on leaving Texas for Alabama: ‘I’m not doing that’

“It took me all of about 60 seconds to say, ‘Yeah, I’m not doing that.’”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian isn’t going anywhere. He shared why Alabama’s head coach vacancy didn’t move the needle for him in an interview with ESPN.

Sarkisian explained his brief contemplation of leaving for Tuscaloosa.

“Naturally, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. But it took me all of about 60 seconds to say, ‘Yeah, I’m not doing that.’ I had an awesome two years at Alabama and loved my time under Coach Saban, but ultimately you want to reap what you sow.

We’ve poured a ton into this program for three years, and we’re on the cusp, I think, of going on a run that will be epic. I believe that. Our staff does, and our players do, too, just the support we have and the culture we’ve created here. Why leave something like that?”

As could be the case with anyone, you listen to your mentor. Clearly, Sarkisian has great respect for former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. That Saban might consider him as his replacement likely meant a lot to Sarkisian. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for Sarkisian to think it over. He rhetorically asks himself why he would leave.

Some are attempting to frame it as a close call. Sarkisian’s 60 seconds of contemplation make it clear he wasn’t anywhere near packing his bags for Tuscaloosa. He was unmoved.

Aside from the inherent disadvantages Alabama could have in matching Texas monetarily and in recruiting proximity to elite talent, Sarkisian would have had to start over in building his culture and instilling his schemes with the Crimson Tide. He concluded, “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

Sarkisian believes his program is “on the cusp” of breaking through to the top of college football. Texas will look to get there in 2024.