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Steve Sarkisian continues to earn stamps of approval from football families

On3 imageby: Bobby Burton07/03/23BobbyBurton87
Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

As someone who attempts to be an astute observer of the Texas football program, I’m always trying to notice the little things that might actually portend a larger impact.

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After all, the health and direction of the football program isn’t always guided by a big, flashing neon light like the team’s win total, especially not when the program is building itself back up. Rather it can be lighted by aspects that are more nuanced.

From a recruiting perspective, I’ve picked up on one such item, and it’s one that continues to be a ringing endorsement of Steve Sarkisian and his staff. It’s one I’ve mentioned before, but it happened yet again over the weekend.

With the pledge of Alex January, Texas landed not only a highly regarded nose tackle over the likes of LSU, Florida State and others. They also added a Texas legacy to the program. Mike January, Alex’s dad, played for the Longhorns back in the 80s.

Nearly 35 years later, he’s sending his son back to Texas, or at least approving of the decision.

The elder January knows college football, he knows the ins and outs of life, and he most certainly knows Texas. And he is endorsing his son’s return to Austin.

Some could say that’s only natural, Texas should land a legacy player. And to a degree, those people are correct.

Yet, it’s not just January and his experience that continue to endorse Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

It’s also the parents of former high-profile college athletes and families like Terrance Brooks, Arch Manning and Santana Wilson. And even players like Cole Hutson whose dad played baseball at Arizona State.

These grown men, the adults who have seen the highs and lows of college sports and had time to reflect on it all, know what college football and college sports are supposed to look like. They know what development needs to happen from the start of college to the end of it. In other words, they get it.

But what I’ve noticed now with the addition is something even a little more nuanced. These parental endorsements aren’t just coming at one single position. It’s occurring at positions across the board, whether it’s the QB room, the OLs, the DL or the secondary.

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That tells me that Sark has hired not just one or two assistant coaches who seem to be able to carry out his idea of development and the confidence of it. Instead, he’s hired a full staff of them.

Everyone listens to the words like “culture” or “development”, and tries to discern whether they’re just platitudes or real life, tangible aspects of the program. Those former players – the adults – they likely have a much better radar for BS than others.

And for Texas, that seems to be one of those very small things that will likely have a larger, long-term impact. It’s not a bright, flashy sign of things moving in the right direction, but it’s a meaningful one just the same.

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