Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian: JT Sanders will play; Ryan Watts a 'game-time' call

It's the biggest game in the Red River Rivalry series in more than a decade, and Saturday's 119th meeting between No. 3 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma will once again have heavy national implications. Here are some takeaways from Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian's meeting with the media Thursday before the matchup at the Cotton Bowl:

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Sanders in, Watts questionable for Cotton Bowl

The good and not-so-good injury updates: Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders should play Saturday while cornerback Ryan Watts looks like a game-time decision, Sarkisian said.

“JT (Sanders) looks great,” Sarkisian said. “He’ll be good to go Saturday.”

That is good news for a Texas offense that averages 36 points and 478 yards per game. The Longhorns boast a plethora of weapons in the passing game, with four players — Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and Sanders — already reaching double digits in receptions. However, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sanders gives Texas a unique weapon who can attack a defense from the tight end position. He leads all Big 12 tight ends with 278 yards receiving, and earlier this season he became the only tight end in school history to have two games with at least 100 yards receiving. Sanders rolled his ankle in the first half of last week’s win over Kansas and did not return.

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Who will replace Watts of the corner can’t go?

Figuring it out at cornerback: If Watts can’t play, Sarkisian said Gavin Holmes and Malik Muhammad will likely get extended snaps at Watts’ cornerback position. Holmes and Muhammad have regularly rotated in with Terrance Brooks at cornerback opposite Watts, and Sarkisian likes the experience all of those cornerbacks have garnered.

“We don't worry so much about starters,” he said. “All our corners play a bunch in the game, so we'll make sure we have that dialed in by Saturday morning. But for now, all those guys will play that have been playing already.”

Watts, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior who transferred into the program from Ohio State prior to his junior year, leads all of the Longhorns’ cornerbacks with 17 tackles. He rarely sees passes on his side of the field, as evident by his one pass breakup. He suffered a lower-leg injury against Kansas and did not return to the game.

Brooks, a sophomore, has one tackle and two pass breakups while Holmes has six tackles since transferring in from Wake Forest. Muhammad, a freshman from Dallas, has 12 tackles and a pass breakup while seeing increased snaps the past couple of weeks.

Sarkisian: New portal rules a positive for college football

Sark supports portal tweaks: Sarkisian thinks the new rules that the NCAA Division I Council approved this week regarding the transfer portal will help college football. The council voted to shorten the portal window from 60 to 45 days in all sports starting with the 2023-24 school year. Players in Division I will now have 30 days instead of 45 after the conclusion of the regular season to enter the portal. The spring transfer portal window in April will remain open for 15 days.

“I like it, quite frankly,” Sarkisian said. “I do like the fact that players have that window to transfer, but, inevitably, we're still trying to recruit high school kids and we're trying to build our own roster. And the more time they have to transfer, the more uncertainty you have on your own current team.

"I think if a young man knows he wants to go into the portal, he's going to go into the portal. Then, everybody's aware of who's on our team and who's available if we have a void to fill. If it's drawn out, that's where the uncertainty sets in, and nobody likes to be in that space. So, I think it's a good thing.”

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OU’s run defense earns Sarkisian’s respect

Oklahoma’s run defense has been a key for the team’s turnaround season. The Sooners have yet to allow a rushing touchdown and are giving up just 105.2 yards per game on the ground, which starkly contrasts with last year’s average of 187.5 yards allowed. Sarkisian said that improvement reflects the priorities of head coach Brent Venables, a longtime defensive coordinator who became the Sooners’ head coach last season.

“It starts with their scheme,” Sarkisian said. “Coach Venables does a really nice job of scheming, they do a really good job of moving their front; they slant, they stunt, they move. And they've got inside 'backers (who) have a good feel for how to fit runs predicated on the fronts that they have. And then in the back end, they've got good speed at the safety spot. If a run does get out, they have the speed and the ability to get the runner on the ground. They're good, for sure.”

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Sarkisian to players: Appreciate the Red River moment

Sark's words of wisdom: This year’s Red River Rivalry carries more meaning than any game in the series since at least 2011, the last year that both teams entered the Cotton Bowl with perfect records. But Sarkisian said he wants his players to enjoy the atmosphere while retaining their focus.

“What an honor it is to be part of this game and to be part of this rivalry,” he said. “A lot of them (the Texas players) are 18, 19 years old, (so) I want them to enjoy the experience. When they come out of the tunnel Saturday, I want them to take a moment to kind of look around, because we're so thankful for the opportunity that we get to be a part of it. How many people would love to run out of the tunnel at the Cotton Bowl in Texas and play in that game? We don't take it lightly.”

Of course, Sarkisian also expects his players to stay focused despite the cauldron of emotions in this game that always seems ready to boil.

“But on the flip side, there’s the mentality that they know the value and the importance of executing and doing what's right and not getting too high and keeping their cool,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian updates injuries, praises new portal rule