Wardell Mack arrest: Steve Sarkisian offers first public comment on Texas DB's DWI

Texas Longhorns defensive back Wardell Mack was arrested early Wednesday morning on DWI charges. He would be booked into Travis County jail after allegedly driving while intoxicated.

This is obviously a serious situation for the Longhorns to navigate. Now, head coach Steve Sarkisian has shared his first public comments since Mack was arrested, explaining that they’re monitoring the situation and anything beyond that is going to be handled internally. However, he was vague about how it would be handled.

“We’re aware of the situation that occurred,” Sarkisian said. “We’re monitoring the authorities and where they stand on it. Anything that happens beyond that, we’ll handle internally.”

Mack just began his second season with Texas. He would appear in four games last season, but is not listed by the official roster bio on the Texas website as having played against Ohio State on Saturday. In his playing time, Mack has two total tackles and an interception for his career.

Wardell Mack is 19 years old and was charged with driving while intoxicated, which is a Class B misdemeanor. His bond was set at $3,000 for the incident.

KXAN reached out to Mack’s attorneys for comment. However, neither his attorneys nor the school was quick to share their thoughts. Mack’s attorney said, “Due to the pending nature of the case, we have no comment at this time.’

Mack played his high school football at John Ehret in Marrero, Louisiana. There, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024. He was also the 143rd-ranked prospect and the 20th-ranked cornerback in that recruiting cycle. At the time, Rivals’ Cody Bellaire broke down what he saw from Mack as a prospect.

“Smooth-moving defensive back with the length and playmaking ability to make an impact as a cornerback or safety. Measured in at around 6-foot-0.5, 170 pounds prior to his senior season. Has elite length for the position with arms that measure 33.75 inches. Shows the ability to stick with receivers, using his length and movement skills to stay in-phase. Physical in press coverage, using his length to reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage. Shows loose hips and is fluid when changing directions. Has refined footwork with a very smooth backpedal in the camp setting,” Bellaire wrote.

“A willing downhill defender, not scared of contact or being physical as a tackler. Shows solid top-end speed, but not look to be top-tier in that regard. Ball skills are good not great, as he does not look to be the most natural pass catcher. Is still comfortable playing the ball at the catch point, getting his hands on the football. Viewed as a high floor prospect who could see an immediate role as a nickel corner at the next level and eventually developing into a field corner. Relatively young for the class, turning 18 in April of his senior year of high school.”

For his part, this is the kind of off-field distraction that Steve Sarkisian would like to avoid this season. In particular, with Texas coming off a loss to start the season, the Longhorns are looking to get on the right track against San Jose State in Week 2. That’s made harder by these types of incidents.