Steve Sarkisian Has One Recruiting Rule: 'Never Sacrifice Character for Talent'

During his interview on Lawyers and Longhorns, Sarkisian described what he looks for in his recruits and how he looks to build the next generation of Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian greets Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Byron Murphy II (90) on senior night before the game against Texas Tech at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has been on a hot streak in recruiting over the past few weeks. The Longhorns have landed commitments from five-star receiver Kaliq Lockett, four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks, five-star safety Jonah Williams, and most recently sealed the deal on another five-star wide receiver in Jaime Ffrench.

This incoming 2025 class is loaded with talent that will mold the next generation of Texas athletes into a championship-winning program. Although on the outside it may seem that the Horns are trying to build a roster based on talent, that is far from the case.

During his interview with Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin for their Lawyers and Longhorns segment on Thursday, Steve Sarkisian went into detail on what he specifically looks for in his recruits.

Mandarin wide receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr. smiles before announcing his college commitment at a pep rally before a high school football game against Atlantic Coast on August 30, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] / Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Naturally, we're trying to build the most talented roster that we can build, that's my responsibility at the University of Texas," Sarkisian said. "There's a caveat to that: we never sacrifice character for talent."

"You could have the most talented roster in the world, but if they played as individuals, teams with culture will beat them. Our goal is to combine talented, high-character people to make up our culture. That's when we're really dangerous. That's when we can win those games that we're supposed to win, but also win those tough games and tough moments when maybe you're not at your best."

Sarkisian said that the second half of the recruitment process is filtering players based on position profiles that need to be matched, which includes height, weight, and speed. The fourth-year coach mentioned that his sights aren't just narrowed in on prospects that meet those standards, but he prioritizes the special characteristics that each individual brings to the table.

"But at the end when it all boils down, I'm really looking for unique competitors," Sarkisian said. "Not good, not great. Unique. Because you have to have a competitive spirit, in my opinion, to be good at anything. It's not just about the talent. The talent might get you through high school, but at this level, with the teams we have to beat or the guys at your position group that you're competing against, if you don't have unique, competitive qualities about you, it's going to be really difficult."

How does Sarkisian know their mentality and lifestyle ahead of the season? He said he simply uses 'FaceTime' to get to know his guys better or note their behavior during social events.

"I like to FaceTime the guys myself, so when you Facetime them, what are they doing?" Sarkisian said. "When we're on a visit and we go to Top Golf, is a guy sitting down on the couch just looking at his phone or is he actually trying to hit these balls? Maybe he's never hit a golf ball in his life, but he's trying to get good at it because he doesn't want to not be good at something."

Sarkisian has diligently crafted a list of incoming athletes that will harbor the culture and environment that he has created, hoping to continue building a team that strives to protect character and connection that will bleed into the next class.