After winning the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, the Texas Longhorns could have become complacent.
Instead, they're greedy, as they officially entered the SEC this summer and are projected to be one of the top teams in the country next fall.
And that's exactly what head coach Steve Sarkisian wants.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers during spring practice at Frank Denius Practice Field
Ricardo B. Brazziel/American politician
“I think our football team is very hungry,” Sarkisian said. “They're very competitive. Our business is very competitive right now.”
The Longhorns aren't just trying to live up to expectations, either. They are trying to improve and be the best team they can be.
It's a mindset the coaches have been trying to instill since taking over the program in January 2021.
But while they're doing their best to develop that mentality heading into their fourth year, it's the players who are truly driving that culture forward, and Sarkisian is thrilled.
“That's the conversation in the locker room,” Sarkisian said Monday. “It's in their minds. I think that's a good thing. It's in their minds that we are the best football team. inside and what they need to do to get there.”
So how are the players holding up until their end of the bargain? Well, Sarkisian gave an example.
During special teams drills, the players took care of the problem rather than special teams coordinator Jeff Banks having to step in and fix the mistake.
“When a young player made a mistake, before me or Coach Banks could say anything to him, like a pack of wolves, we said, 'That's not the way we do it, that's not the way you do it.' ” Sarkisian said. “So as competitive as we are practicing with intention and intensity, they're learning how to do it now.”
And that's exactly the kind of thing Sarkisian has been trying to instill into the program and preaching since arriving in Austin.
“I think that's the beauty of this game,” Sarkisian said. “That they're coaching each other. That's the leadership that I talked about in my first press conference. We have a lot of players that are doing that and I think that's a really positive thing for us. think”
