Steve Sarkisian identifies which Texas players have developed the most over past year

There are very few teams around the country that recruit as well as the Texas Longhorns. At the same time, head coach Steve Sarkisian also wants to be known for how his program develops players, which he’s been very involved with recently.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Sarkisian identified the players who have developed the most in the past year at Texas. He’d start along the offensive side of the ball. There, he opened along the offensive line before transitioning into some intriguing pass-catching options.

“Yeah, Connor Stroh,” Steve Sarkisian said. “I’m very proud of him, and he’s put in a lot of work. He’s changed his body. A guy I’m definitely proud of, of how far he’s come. Spencer Shannon. Definitely proud of him, his development. You know, Jordan Washington, having been out all spring and coming back. Where he’s at. Parker Livingstone. Can’t say enough about what he’s done.”

From there, Steve Sarkisian turned his attention to the defensive side of the ball. There, the Longhorns have several young players who are ready to step into larger roles.

“I think on defense, Ty’Anthony Smith — I touched on him. I think of his development and growth. Alex January. From where he was a year ago to where he is today,” Sarkisian said. “Very impressed with him. Wardell Mack. He’s a guy who’s finding his niche, finding his role. He’s grown into it. Kobe Black. Another guy.”

In the modern era of roster building, there are teams that often reload with experienced transfer players every year. That’s not the approach Sarkisian wants for Texas. Instead, from his perspective, it’s better to build up and develop players who are tested when they’re young and meet that challenge.

“So, lot of guys that way. I think that’s one of the hard things that we have to keep coaching to. We’re gonna recruit these four and five star guys, and there’s a pretty good piece of humble pie to eat when they get here because the guys all around them are four and five stars, and they’re not the big fish in the small pond anymore at their high school. They come here, but they came here for a reason. They came here to get better, they came here to get pushed, they came here to compete. The guys that can understand that and starting tapping into that daily work, that daily grind — we live in a society of instant gratification,” Sarkisian said.

“This process. There’s no instantaneous about it. You have to put in work, and when you get on the other side of it, there will come a time — you guys will talk to all of them — but they’re so grateful that they had to work for it, and how much better they are today, not only as players, as people. That’s the part for me. That’s why it’s easy to rattle those guys off, because I know the journey a lot of those guys have been on.”

For two seasons in a row now Texas has made it to the College Football Playoff semifinal. Now, Sarkisian is hoping to get the Longhorns over the hump and help them get back to winning a national championship.