Texas is set to have Trevor Goosby and Lawrence Seymore available when it opens against Texas State on Saturday, and Steve Sarkisian made clear Thursday that the Longhorns are approaching the first game with both confidence and caution.
Speaking on a Zoom call, Sarkisian said Goosby is “good to go,” though Texas wants to see Cojoe get into the game as well after a strong week of practice. Goosby’s workload has been building since Monday, and the staff will keep a close eye on his conditioning because of the heat. Sarkisian said Goosby “needs to play football,” but the staff also has to monitor fatigue.
Seymore, meanwhile, is also cleared.
The Texas coach said the week has been a long one, but a productive one, as the staff has tried to get new pieces integrated and push the team toward becoming “a really good football team.” Sarkisian praised the players’ commitment and buy-in, and said the group looked connected at practice on Thursday.
That connection, he said, has to show up once the game starts - especially in the form of composure. Sarkisian said Texas has to minimize performance anxiety and “cut it loose,” while also trying to do that earlier rather than later.
He called himself a realist about Week 1 and said some growing pains are likely, whether they show up in defensive communication, Texas State’s tempo, offensive situational football or special teams. The key, in his view, is fixing mistakes in real time and then carrying those corrections into Week 2.
He also stressed that the Longhorns need to take a deep breath and settle in. “Anxiety is going to kick in.
All of those emotions are totally normal,” Sarkisian said. “The sooner you can take a deep breath, take a moment and focus on the game, that will minimize some of the mistakes.”
Texas is also preparing for a Texas State offense that features quarterback Brad Jackson in multiple ways. Sarkisian described Jackson as an accurate passer with a quick release, a threat on designed QB runs, and a player who can pick up yards when plays break down. Texas, he said, has to stay disciplined in pass-rush lanes while also making Jackson uncomfortable.
On the personnel front, Sarkisian pointed to Ryan Wingo as a player who keeps earning more trust. He said Wingo works relentlessly, embraces the dirty work, and is becoming more complete as a receiver.
Sarkisian also called him an explosive player with the ball in his hands and said he has evolved in the passing game. With Wingo alongside Cam and Emmett, Sarkisian called it “a nice three-headed monster.”
Special teams is already taking shape, too. Sarkisian said multiple young players and transfers are expected to have roles, with Texas spreading personnel across several units.
He mentioned Mike Masunas on kick return and field goal protection, Bo Masco on a unit, and Raheem Biles on punt and kickoff. The staff is hopeful those younger players can step in quickly and help cut down reps for the front-line starters.
As for the quarterbacks behind the starter, Sarkisian said there is no plan to force snaps for the younger passers. Any opportunity for KJ will depend entirely on how the game unfolds Saturday.
“No,” Sarkisian said when asked if there was any intent to get the young quarterbacks work just for the sake of it. “It’s all predicated on how the game goes on Saturday.
They’re not going to try to inject KJ at any point just to put him out there.”
Sarkisian also touched on the coaching setup, saying there are benefits to having coaches both upstairs and on the field. Being up top gives a better view, but being downstairs lets him feel the game and read the players more directly.
He said Texas has been fortunate to have strong voices upstairs, and pointed to A.J. Milwee being moved up last season and Mike Biamonte coming down as moves that helped.
He said the staff will keep doing that this year.
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