Steve Sarkisian Reveals 'Special Ingredient' That Makes Texas Different

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian enters his fourth year with some veterans who have been alongside him the whole time and have now grown into the leaders the team needs most.

Texas Longhorns Head football coach Steve Sarkisian during the first fall football camp practice for the Texas Longhorns at Denius Fields on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has relentlessly preached the importance of speaking the same language and buying into the values of the program that he's laid out for the past three years to his team day in and day out.

While each group of athletes that have worked under Sarkisian for the past three years have been unique, Sarkisian said this year's squad has a specific characteristic that makes it more connected than those in years past.

"They're really in it together, and they know they need one another to make it happen, and so that's probably the special ingredient for this team, which is different, maybe than the past couple years back," Sarkisian said during his latest media availability on Monday.

He elaborated on the fact that last season had a few key players who spoke up and acted as primary leaders for the rest of the team, but throughout the offseason and at practice, he's seen a wave of guys reveal their leadership skills.

Texas Longhorns Head football coach Steve Sarkisian during the sixth day in full pads during fall football camp practice for the Texas Longhorns at Denius Fields on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

"I don't think that we just have, like these one, two or three, just dominant leaders that are the absolute voice of our team," Sarkisian said. "You know, a couple years ago it was Roschon Johnson, when Roshaun spoke, everybody listened. Last year it might have been Jordan Whittington and Byron Murphy. When they spoke, everybody listened."

"Now I feel like we have so many voices, and they're great voices, and they're speaking really good wisdom and great words, that that's what makes this team special, that they're all in it together, and it's not kind of any sort of hierarchy."

Sarkisian mentioned the names of some veteran teammates making strides to build relationships and culture inside the locker room and outside on the field. He said their individual instincts to lead the team in uncomfortable or difficult situations shows how much they've developed over the years, and it doesn't go unnoticed.

"You can feel that leadership. You can feel that energy from Michael Taaffe or Barryn Sorrell or Alfred Collins, Jahdae Barron on defense. I could name a ton. You know, Jake Majors, Kelvin [Banks Jr.], Hayden Conner, those guys, Jaydon Blue, that you can feel them like, 'Oh, here's one of those moments. This is when we really got to go forward from a leadership standpoint.' And so that's encouraging for me, right?" Sarkisian said.

With multiple upperclassmen looking to take charge and instill connections within the team, especially with the amount of incoming transfers and freshman, it will only help the Longhorns on their journey to glory.