Happy he's back in New Orleans, Texas edge rusher Barryn Sorrell preps for the Sugar Bowl
NEW ORLEANS — On Thursday morning, Texas edge rusher Barryn Sorrell had a tip.
When asked where to eat in the Big Easy, Sorrell suggested New Orleans Food and Spirits. And to get the VooDoo Crawfish Rolls.
Maybe one day, Sorrell will have those VooDoo Rolls or some other menu item named after him. He's working toward that. But for now, the New Orleans native is more focused on leading the Texas defense into Monday's Sugar Bowl showdown against No. 2 Washington. This is Sorrell's first game in his hometown since he played for Holy Cross High as a senior in 2020.
"It's a blessing. That's all I can really say," Sorrell said Thursday. "I mean, I could go on and on about the feeling that I have off the field, just coming back here and being able to play in the Superdome, but I'm very thankful. It means a lot, it really does."
Sorrell has 34 tackles and a team-high 10 quarterback hurries this season. One of the 6-foot-4, 261-pound junior's sacks sealed the overtime win over Kansas State in November. He's an important part of Texas' defense, which ranks 13th nationally in points allowed (17.5 ppg) and 25th in yards allowed (321.7 ypg).
"(Barryn brings) toughness, grit, a lot of passion," UT defensive tackle Byron Murphy II said. "Barryn Sorrell, he's a great player, great on the edge. I feel like I can count on him at all times. When I need him to step and make a play, I feel like he's there to do that."
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Sorrell is eligible for the NFL draft, but he said Thursday that he hasn't yet made a decision about his future. Still, if he does go pro, maybe his hometown team will be interested in his services. After all, the Saints have recently had some success with a local product who played for Texas: defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who's in his fourth season with the Saints.
Roach, from nearby Baton Rouge, signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He was placed on the injured reserve list earlier this month but has compiled a career-high 38 tackles and three pass breakups this season.
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Sorrell said Roach was one of the first people he reached out to for advice after he signed with Texas. Roach also recently connected with Sorrell ahead of his trip back home.
"Yeah, he talked to us when we were going to the Sugar Bowl," Sorrell said. "It was great to connect with him and just see his energy and how excited he was."
When the College Football Playoff pairings were announced on Dec. 3, it took Sorrell a few minutes to realize that he would be heading home. The Longhorns were too busy celebrating the fact that they had secured the No. 3 seed and their first-ever playoff appearance. He had "a whole another feeling" when he saw that UT had been assigned to the Sugar Bowl.
Sorrell grew up in the New Orleans East neighborhood. On Thursday, he got to reflect on the opportunity that he'll have to represent his city while also playing in his city.
"It's a big thing. Not that many people obviously get to a stage like this from where I'm from," Sorrell said. "I'm just happy I'm one of the people. I feel like God has used me to just be able to show a message and just show how far people can come with hard work."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: New Orleans native Barryn Sorrell comes home with Texas football team
