Seniors Reveal Emotions Behind Last Texas Longhorns Home Game of 2024 Season

Ahead of the team's potential final home game on Saturday, multiple seniors expressed their bittersweet emotions surrounding the milestone.

Nov 9, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads his team on to the field before a game against the Florida Gators at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns 2024 football season is already coming to a close, as the program will take on Kentucky this weekend in what will be its last home game of the regular season before heading to College Station, aside from the potential of hosting a College Football Playoff matchup.

This inevitable milestone has caused the seniors who have spent their entire college careers as Longhorns to reflect on their time spent inside Darrell K. Royal Stadium, as they will be recognized individually on Saturday during the game.

"[I'm] looking forward to celebrating Senior Day," head coach Steve Sarkisian said during Monday's media availability. "A lot of these guys have done so much work for us and have been such catalysts for our culture and what we do."

Senior EDGE Barryn Sorrell mentioned how his emotions surrounding the event have been rooted in the fact that he's been at Texas since 2021 and how immediately found a home not just within the team itself, but also the fanbase.

"Any opportunity to play is definitely special, but just knowing that this is the last time that I'll be playing in front of Longhorn Nation at home, just knowing that going into my freshman year, Longhorn Nation took me in with open arms, I just want to obviously leave a good taste in their mouth," Sorrell said. "I really want to enjoy this experience with my teammates."

Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron nearly faced his last season in 2023 after being undecided about whether he would return for a fifth year, but said the reality of it all is finally hitting him.

"It was sad last year, but this one really knowing that I actually can't come back ever again, I'm gonna drop some real gangsta tears out there," Barron said.

But Barron might be the only one shedding a tear on Saturday, as senior linebacker David Gbenda said he's going to try his best to keep his feelings in control.

"That's going to be a lot of emotions running through me. The last game, the last home game. But I gotta stay strong, [I] can't cry," Gbenda said.

While many veterans see this end of an era as upsetting, senior offensive lineman Jake Majors has used it to look back on how much enjoyment he's gotten out of his five seasons with the Longhorns.

"It's been a blast, I've had a lot of fun," Majors said. "I've just had a blessed opportunity to be back here another year and just live out this dream of playing college football at the highest level and being a part of history."

No matter where the Longhorns are headed in the postseason, Saturday will undoubtedly leave these seniors a chance to show how far they've come since they arrived alongside Sarkisian, and will be a rare moment where their toughness will be matched with vulnerability.

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