What are the keys to Texas having a successful season?
Steve Sarkisian and Texas are looking to bounce back after what was a season from hell in 2021.
The Longhorns fell victim to a historic collapse against Oklahoma, which then led to a historically long six-game losing streak.
Sarkisian and his staff put a big emphasis on revamping the roster this offseason, as there has been major turnover with over 30 new scholarship players joining the team. Every single one of them was very much needed as the Longhorns were home to a very inconsistent offense, and a defense so inefficient at times that traffic cones might have been more effective.
Whether it was from the transfer portal or from the high school ranks, Texas upgraded at seemingly every position possible.
However, there are certain things that Texas will need to happen in order to turn 5-7 into 9-3 or possibly better.
Let’s take a look at the major keys to Texas having a successful season in 2022.
Improved offensive line play
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This one goes without saying, but the offensive line was the worst unit on the team last season. Kyle Flood trotted out different lineups a handful of times, moved people around, and even gave a look to players lower on the depth chart to no avail. Whether it was Casey Thompson or Hudson Card, they felt a ton of pressure and never really seemed comfortable in the pocket. While coach Flood and Sarkisian probably don’t want to, there is a chance that we see freshmen Kelvin Banks and Devon Campbell insert themselves into the lineup. Whatever it takes to better this unit needs to be done, and signing what could be the program’s best offensive line class in school history should help right away.
Get to the quarterback more
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Texas’ pass rush was nonexistent last season, as reserve linebacker Ben Davis led the team in sacks with 2.5, and Alfred Collins led the team in pressures with 15, which is not great by any means. The Longhorns missed out on a handful of pass rushers in the transfer portal, so they will either be relying on former reserves like Barynn Sorell or freshman like Justice Finkley to assume that role.
The linebacker group got a major boost with James Madison transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey recently, which may free up DeMarvion Overshown or another linebacker to help rush the passer more. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where the pressure is coming from, but the Longhorns cannot continue to give quarterbacks ample time when they drop back because it exposes the rest of the defense’s flaws.
Better in-game adjustments
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While football requires players to execute a game-plan, it also requires the coaches to put their players in a position to succeed. In every loss of the season and even in some of the wins, the Longhorns were out-coached by the opponents in the second half. The staff must be more proactive in preparing the team for what to expect in the next half, otherwise the Longhorns will continue to build leads and lose them. There is no reason to blow a double digit lead, let alone multiple. This will likely be something the defensive side of the ball needs to be better at, as they are currently the weak link of the team.
Improved culture
Syndication: Austin American-Statesman
Not only did Texas blow multiple games in which they had double digit leads, but it seemed as if as soon as something would go wrong the team didn’t know how to bounce back. The Longhorns struggled with handling adversity, and based on murmurs about certain players who left the program the team is much more connected ahead of this next season. In each of the losses there was a particular play, whether it was the Caleb Williams run during Red River or Casey Thompson’s pick six against Oklahoma State, where the team seemed flabbergasted and unable to recover from that.
The biggest test for the culture and the team’s mental toughness will be the Week 2 matchup against Alabama. While there is a chance the Longhorns can pull off the upset, there is also a chance that Alabama beats them by 30. That game cannot determine how the rest of the season goes regardless of the outcome. It is up to Sarkisian and the team leaders to instill confidence in the rest of the team, and to make sure that everyone actually believes in one another.
Transfers need to excel immediately
Syndication: Austin American-Statesman
Texas brought in one of the best classes of transfers in the country, which currently ranks as the No. 6 class in the country. They need each and every one of the transfers to produce in some capacity, as receiver Isaiah Neyor is expected to be as good as Xavier Worthy and quarterback Quinn Ewers has been tabbed as the next great one without even attempting a pass. The pressure is on for the program to succeed, and the transfer class that they brought in will be a determining factor if the Longhorns are around seven wins, or if they are contending for a conference title and beyond.
Texas has missed on transfers under Tom Herman and even some of the transfers Sarkisian brought in last season, there is no room for error this time around. Realistically all but two of the transfers will be starters, and the two that likely won’t be will still be key contributors off the bench. The transfers play just as much a role in the culture change as the players who have been at Texas for their whole careers, the program needs elite production and they need it now.
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