Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian: Recent scrimmage helps reveal team leaders

With the spring contest fast approaching, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian used Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage as a chance to apply the lessons learned over the past month into game-like situations.

It also gave him an opportunity to measure his team’s leadership, which was much to the satisfaction of the coach.

“I thought our veterans really were dialed in to what we were doing and what we're trying to do,” Sarkisian said Tuesday. “A lot of those guys, they’re going into year three. They’ve been with us from the beginning. So they're very comfortable with the things that they know are important to us as a staff, and they've learned now why it's important.”

Specifically, Sarkisian cited receiver Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, edge rusher Barryn Sorrell and defensive back Jerrin Thompson for taking the reins of the team during the scrimmage. All have played pivotal roles for Texas since Sarkisian took over the program in the spring of 2021, and the coach said all have taken on more responsibility in the locker room.

More: Texas football notes: Visit from Kyle Shanahan could help offense, says Steve Sarkisian

“They can kind of be that conduit between a younger player and ourselves,” Sarkisian said. “And a lot of times, that carries more weight coming from a player than it does coming from a coach, so the more of those guys that can support that message, I think the more impactful it is on our team.”

Of course, Sarkisian and his staff also wanted to see how much of an impact the team’s younger players could make. A scrimmage creates as close to game conditions as the team can get in spring ball, at least until the Orange-White game on April 15. It increased the intensity and magnified the mistakes, Sarkisian said.

“I thought it was good Saturday for a lot of our younger players,” he said. “You could feel a little bit of the excitement. There were some unforced errors early on in the scrimmage, and then they started to kind of settle in and start to play the way they had been practicing, which is why you need to scrimmage. You have to put guys in some uncomfortable settings, and then they have to learn how to get comfortable in those settings.”

Sarkisian: Blue, young RBs getting good snaps

The running backs continue to look comfortable as Sarkisian and his staff seek to replace Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, the two NFL-bound backs who carried the load on the ground last season. Jaydon Blue had a productive scrimmage while continuing to get more practice reps with Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson — the two leading returning rushers from a year ago — limited by injuries. Sarkisian also credited converted receiver Savion Red for his work in the backfield as well as freshman CJ Baxter.

“I think naturally for a young runner, when you come in, is how much can you learn from the guys in front of you?” Sarkisian said. “When you look at Bijan and when you look at Roschon and then you look at Keilan and his approach to it, I think there's a level of maturity that those guys played with.

“I think Jaden really has matured in his time here," Sarkisian said. "It's about a complete body of work. Some mistakes are going to occur but then, how do you reset and recalibrate and then go do it again the next carry or the next round or the next protection? I think is where we've seen a ton of growth in him; every run is not going to be beautifully blocked with a huge hole and it's a gain of 50 yards. Sometimes you have to go get a dirty three or four yards and get back in the huddle and try to go do it again. And I think that's the level of maturity that we're looking for from him.”

Cornerbacks competition extends to both spots

Running back isn’t the only position with increased competition. Ryan Watts, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior who earned all-Big 12 honorable mention honors last season after transferring in from Ohio State, would seem to have a lock on one of the two starting cornerback spots. But Sarkisian said increased depth in the secondary has increased the options at both corner spots.

He said Terrance Brooks, who attended the same high school as Watts in Little Elm outside of Dallas, “is really kind of taking his game to another level.” Gavin Holmes and X’Avion Brice also drew praise, and Sarkisian likes the versatility of Austin Jordan and Jahdae Barron, who can play multiple positions in the secondary.

“We’ve got great competition at corner, I think at both spots,” Sarkisian said. “We're fortunate. I think that our coaches have done a good job kind of evaluating and recruiting that position. I think competition is healthy for everybody and usually brings out the best.”

More: Let's hear it for the new guys: Texas' early enrollees are learning, earning early praise

More playing time for special-teams star Crawford?

Kitan Crawford, a senior from Tyler who’s started just one game in his career, has earned his reputation as one of the top special-teams players in the Big 12. He showed why Saturday when he blocked a field goal in the scrimmage.

But Sarkisian said that Crawford’s development in the secondary may make him a regular contributor on defense, along with senior linebacker David Gbenda and junior linebacker Mo Blackwell Jr.

“I think this is the best version of Kitan Crawford,” Sarkisian said. “He's still doing what he's always done on special teams, but what he's doing in the secondary now is very comforting to know that a guy can grow into that position.

“And the beauty of it is with those guys, they've earned their opportunities. They're getting their opportunities. (They) can be a model for a younger player living in this world of instant gratification. Here’s prime examples of guys that have grown into a role and have worked at it to now contribute to the team. And we're very appreciative of it, because we invest a lot in our players from the moment they arrive. And so when they stick it out, one year, two years, three years, now they can reap the benefits of the work they've put in and the investment we've made in them. I think it's a win for everybody.”

Sarkisian keeping an eye on transfer portal

Not that Sarkisian shies away from transfers, which is one lesson the noted basketball fan took from watching LSU’s women’s basketball team win the national championship Sunday. The Tigers’ squad included nine players who transferred into the program, and the Texas men’s team reached the Elite Eight with four starters who started their collegiate careers elsewhere.

The next transfer window for college football opens in early May.

“I suspect we're going to have movement,” Sarkisian said. “I'm not naive to the landscape of college athletics right now. The reality of it is, we'll probably have some movement at the end of spring. I don't know exactly what it's going to look like yet. I don't know if some players have made decisions or not. But ultimately, that's the time that we're in nowadays.

“I do think that we have to be realistic to the landscape of college football right now. That's why we have the meetings with our players to talk to them about kind of where they're at. And then we need to monitor that portal. You just don't know who you're going to lose. If you lose too many at one spot, you better have somebody that can fill that void, so you don't go into the season depleted somewhere.”

Robertson out, but offensive line depth not a concern

Connor Robertson, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman, remains sidelined with a wrist injury, Sarkisian said. The redshirt freshman from Westlake played extensive snaps in the Alamo Bowl loss to Washington and appeared ready to battle for more playing time, but Sarkisian says the improved depth on the line allows the team to more readily absorb injuries compared to his previous two seasons.

“We're relatively young at that position,” he said. “It's hard to say that when you return five starters, but the reality of it is, we’ve signed 12 players in the last two classes on the offensive line, and so that youth is good because I think we've got a hungry group that is competitive and we're able to go three deep and feel very comfortable doing that.”

Are Will Stone and Bert Auburn battling at kicker?

Junior Bert Auburn made 21 of 26 field goals a year ago, but Sarkisian said the kicker is getting pushed by local product Will Stone, an Austin Regents graduate with a booming leg.

“I think definitely you see the consistency of Bert, kind of carrying on just from where he was from a year ago,” Sarkisian said. “But you can definitely see the leg talent out of Will. We'll really take a deeper dive into that in the summer, but it's a good problem to have. There’s an open competition for them. Hopefully that brings the best out.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Recent Texas football scrimmage helps reveal team leaders