As Texas gets its 2026 prep work wrapped up and fall camp approaches, Steve Sarkisian is heading into SEC Media Days with plenty to talk about beyond the Longhorns themselves.
The Texas coach recently turned his attention to the people shaping the next wave of players across the state, and he didn’t mince words about the role high school football coaches play. Evan Vieth of Inside Texas shared Sarkisian’s remarks on the subject, including this line aimed at the men working at the prep level:
"Those that do it at the high school level, you know, just don't lose sight of the fact that you're impacting society,"
Sarkisian’s point went well beyond X’s and O’s. He stressed that high school coaches are teaching more than football, helping young players absorb lessons that can carry over into life away from the field. In his view, that’s part of what makes the job so meaningful.
That message fits the reality of football in Texas, where the pipeline from Friday nights to Saturdays is as strong as anywhere. Sarkisian knows the Longhorns can find plenty of talent close to home, and the numbers back that up. In Texas’ current 2027 recruiting class, 55% of the talent is from Texas.
For a program like Texas, that in-state base matters. The Longhorns are already finding what they need in their own backyard, and that starts with the work being done at the high school level.
It’s easy for high school sports to get overlooked, but Sarkisian made it clear he sees the bigger picture. The players who become college stars usually start on those hot summer days under the guidance of coaches who are building much more than a football team.
In Other News...
Texas May Finally Need This Former Five-Star To Deliver
Texas is heading into 2026 with a defense that already has a clear headliner in Colin Simmons, but the Longhorns are also looking for another former blue-chip talent to make the leap. Lance Jackson, once a five-star recruit, did not have a major impact last season, yet the expectation around the program is that his role will grow as Texas reshapes its front and adds pieces like transfer defensive tackle Ian Geffrard.
Will Muschamps plan gives Jackson a chance to matter in more than one way. The Longhorns want his versatility available both on the edge and in heavier looks inside, and if Simmons keeps drawing the kind of attention he usually does, Jackson may find the kind of opening that turns potential into production. For Texas, that kind of development would go a long way toward making the pass rush feel deeper and more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have An Unexpected Answer In Its Biggest Line Battle
Laurence Seymore arrived at Texas with the kind of resume that usually earns a quick look, having started every game for Western Kentucky last season, and he has only helped his case since getting into the Longhorns offseason program. Steve Sarkisian has been encouraged enough by Seymores conditioning and overall fit to single out the transfer as someone who has made real progress in a short time, which matters on a line still trying to sort itself out.
The guard picture remains unsettled, and that is where Seymores rise becomes especially relevant. With uncertainty around who will actually be available, Texas needs answers in a hurry, and Seymore is pushing into a spot that could give the Longhorns some stability if he keeps trending the way he has so far. The competition is still open, but he has already made this a more interesting battle than it looked like when he first arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Are Furious Over A Viral Longhorns Clip
A resurfaced TikTok clip has put Texas football back in the social-media crosshairs, with the video showing multiple Longhorns players doing a high-energy dance routine inside a team facility. The footage has been circulating again on X, where it quickly picked up steam and stirred up the kind of reaction that can follow a program with national expectations.
For plenty of fans, the backlash has centered less on the dance itself than on what it seems to say about focus and culture around the program. It comes with Texas still carrying the weight of a 10-3 finish under Steve Sarkisian and a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, which is exactly why even an old clip can spark a fresh round of scrutiny this close to a new season. [Read more 🡒]