Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian Sets Deadline to Name Starters

The Texas Longhorns are hosting a mock game on Saturday in what will be one of their final steps of preparation before the real action begins.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns are only 11 days away from kicking off their 2023 season at home against the Rice Owls on Sept. 2.

The Longhorns are holding a mock game on Saturday in what will be one of their final steps of preparation before the real action begins. Steve Sarkisian and the rest of the coaching staff have tough decisions to make regarding starters in all three phases, so when's a good time for them to finally let the players where they land on the depth chart?

While it's often typical for coaches to dance around questions about specific dates when asked by the media, Sarkisian was direct about when he wants the players to know their depth chart spot and explained why.

"By (this) Saturday," Sarkisian said when asked when he'd like to "solidify" the starters by. "Because to be fair to them, they need to know who's the first unit, who's the second unit, who's the backup in all three phases so that if a guy goes down, if a guy's shoe comes off, a guy's helmet pops off, that next guy needs to know who's going in."

This means that the mock game will serve as an initial look at what the first-team offense, defense and special teams could be. But small things could still change in the days leading up to the season opener, as Sarkisian emphasized that the competition never stops.

"We need to continue to compete, we need to continue to find the right combination of people," he said.

Regardless of any minor and internal  depth chart changes that could happen between now and the start of the season, Saturday's mock game should provide some clarity for both the Texas players and coaches.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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