Steve Sarkisian Takes Pride in 'Great' Texas Veteran Leadership

According to Steve Sarkisian, the Texas Longhorns are very much a player-led team in 2024

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with Texas Longhorns linebacker David Gbenda (33) and Texas Longhorns linebacker Morice Blackwell Jr. (37) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, November. 4, 2023, in Austin, Texas. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas Longhorns enter the season opener against the Colorado State Rams on Saturday with high expectations, ranked No. 4 in the nation in both the coaches and AP top-25 polls.

Obviously, a good deal of the excitement surrounding the Longhorns has to do with their immense talent on both sides of the ball.

However, according to Steve Sarkisian, one of the biggest strengths of the team is in their veteran leadership, which is very much present, and extremely impactful in the locker room.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with Texas Longhorns linebacker David Gbenda (33) and Texas Longhorns linebacker Morice Blackwell Jr. (37) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, November. 4, 2023, in Austin, Texas. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

“We’ve got great leadership on this team,” Sarkisian said during the SEC teleconference call. “We’ve got a lot of veteran players that have been in this program for three or four years that have an idea of what it takes to get back there. They’ve done a great job of leading our younger players, who are very talented younger players, of what the demands are and how we hold people accountable and the discipline that it takes and the mental and physical toughness and the commitment that it takes.”

Whether it is players like David Gbenda, Morice Blackwell, Jahdae Barron or Barryn Sorrell on defense, or Jake Majors, Hayden Connor, and Gunnar Helm on offense, the Longhorns have players who bled with the program for from the beginning of the Steve Sarkisian era.

Not to mention quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has emerged as the unquestioned leader of the team over the last calendar year.

And according to Sarkisian, that kind of veteran presence is what sets this group apart from many others, and gives them a shot at winning big in 2024.

“All of those things add up," Sarkisian said. "I feel very comfortable with the fact that our team is hungry and working toward trying to be champions this fall."

Texas and Colorado State kick off at 2:30 pm central time on ESPN.