With just a week until the start of Texas’ football season, Longhorns fans will get their first look at Texas’ completely changed roster, but one similarity that stands out from last season is the strength of coach Steve Sarkisian’s squad and the importance of team leadership.
“Our culture is their culture,” Sarkisian said of his players, who are in their fourth year at Texas. “It’s not something we’re trying to indoctrinate them with. It’s just who they are.”
With several key players, including Byron Murphy II, T’Vondre Sweat, Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington, leaving for the NFL, Texas not only lost a number of physical powerhouses, but also a leadership force.
Coach Sarkisian revealed during his press conference on Monday that a number of new players are making their voices heard and becoming household names for Texas football. Some of the names the coach mentioned were junior safety Michael Taaffe, senior edge Valin Sorrell, senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins, senior defensive back Jadai Barron, senior offensive lineman Jake Majors, junior offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr., senior offensive lineman Hayden Conner and junior running back Jadon Blue.
In addition to these standout players, another notable leader who has not only grown into his role at Texas but also embodies the Texas culture is three-year starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers has always been a good player, but senior linebacker David Gbenda made it clear that his quarterback has grown into a stalwart leader for the Longhorns.
“When he first got here I was like, ‘Who is this guy?'” Gbenda said. “He’s got that swagger, he’s got that mullet, when he throws the ball he just kicks the ball out. But it’s been really great to watch him grow as a person and as a man.”
There’s no doubt that Sarkisian has made an impact since coming to Texas by creating a winning culture. He led the team to its first conference championship since 2009 last year, its first playoff appearance since the College Football Playoff was added in 2014 and created an atmosphere at DKR not seen in over a decade.
Coach Sarkisian’s desire to win and succeed has been instilled in every player, a trait that will allow the team to build the foundation for a successful season despite the fresh new additions to the roster.
Gbenda said one thing Sarkisian has instilled in his players is “his desire and obsession to play for a national championship. (Last season) we had a lot of older guys who knew what it took. We were very close but fell short. On the other hand, we have a lot of younger guys who are hungry, excited and ready to be part of the present and future of Texas football.”
