Steve Sarkisian glad to have Brenden Schooler's experience at Texas

Defensive back Brenden Schooler has gained tremendous experience throughout his collegiate football career. He is set to enter his sixth season of college football, and he is at the third school of his career. For Texas, head coach Steve Sarkisian is glad to have Schooler and his versatile experience on the team.

Schooler has played on both sides of the ball in college career

As a freshman in 2016 at Oregon, Schooler played defensive back, totaling 74 tackles and four interceptions. In 2017, he transitioned to the offensive side of the ball. That year, Schooler caught 20 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, adding seven tackles. In 2018, Schooler caught 21 balls for 203 yards and a touchdown with nine tackles. Schooler caught two passes and had one tackle in 2019 before suffering an injury.

Following the 2019 season, Schooler transferred to Arizona to play with his brother Colin. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the Pac-12 season last year with Covid, the brothers elected to transfer. Brenden Schooler ended up at Texas, where he caught 12 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Due to the extra season of eligibility granted due to Covid, Schooler has gotten a chance to return for a sixth season.

Sarkisian: Schooler is a “valuable piece of the puzzle”

Sixth-year players in college football are rare and hard to come by. Schooler has gained tremendous experience in his career on both offense and defense, something that has proven valuable to Texas. After playing on both sides of the ball, Schooler has settled in on defense and special teams under Sarkisian. Sarkisian listed special teams as a strength for Texas, and Schooler plays a role in that being the case.

“I think the thing about Schooler, I really appreciate his approach,” Sarkisian said. “I think he’s been on a heck of a journey in his college football career, right? You end up at your third power five school, you’ve changed positions, you’ve changed head coaches. I joke with him sometimes that I don’t know If there’s a speech I could give the team that he hasn’t heard before. He’s probably heard it from somewhere from somebody.

“I love his approach. I think he’s a guy who appreciates his opportunity. He’s a very smart player. I think he communicates really well. And obviously because of his experience on offense and defense, I think he has a really high football IQ. All those things add up. He’s a really valuable piece of the puzzle for us defensively and on special teams. I think sometimes the hair and the tattoos fool you. He’s a very cerebral player who has got a great feel for the game.”