This weekend’s matchup against Kentucky will hold special weight for some of the most important parts of the 2024 Texas Longhorn football team. For the senior, this will be the last time these Longhorns will take the field at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
This Saturday’s game is Senior Day, and the spotlight will be on these veteran players.
“A lot of them have done a lot for us and contributed a lot to our culture and what we do,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “So we’re looking forward to being able to celebrate them.”
Sarkisian, who came to Texas in 2021, has seen many players develop and mold the program into the current No. 3 team in the country. He said he’s thankful these Longhorns didn’t give up even when last season looked bleak.
“They bought in,” Sarkisian said of the team culture. “And when things got tough in year one and year two, they didn’t jump off and go somewhere else. They just kept going with what we were trying to do. So I’m very grateful to them and I owe them a lot. To them. ”
Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins is on the Longhorns’ side. Collins started six games last season, but still wasn’t able to contribute consistently to the team. Collins had a number of older players ahead of him vying for the starting spot, and Sarkisian said he struggled with consistency, but his decision to stay at Texas never wavered.
Collins has started every game this season and was named Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week this week, showing his growth under Sarkisian.
When asked why he didn’t consider a transfer, Collins’ answer was simple.
“This is home,” he said.
Collins isn’t the only player who has improved over the past five years. Fifth-year player Jarde Barron has grown not only as a player but also as a leader, having been a Thorpe Award semifinalist for the second year in a row and once named the SEC’s secondary defensive player of the week.
Senior tight end Gunnar Helm said the team is excited to have Barron back for a fifth year after his NFL production last season and believes he can help the Longhorns reach the postseason. He said there was.
“It’s a big deal to have a leader like that back,” Helm said. “And he’s played a lot of college football, so having him come back this year to hopefully play in a championship will speak volumes to a lot of people.” This is Jade’s character. ”
There are currently 23 seniors on the Texas roster, and while some may still declare for a fifth year if eligible, the majority will be playing in their final home game. Saturday.
But there’s one big question looming among Texas fans right now. Will junior quarterback Quinn Ewers also play in his final home game?
Ewers is competing as a mock NFL draft pick this season, but when asked about Ewers’ decision, Sarkisian said, “I don’t know.”
Texas will play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Longhorns are ready for a championship, and Coach Helm said the team’s bond can help them do that.
“So obviously we’re very close,” Helm said. “We all want to win for each other. I think that’s why we’re all here.”
