Texas coach Steve Sarkisian named to 2025 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list

Texas Football head coach Steve Sarkisian has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank, The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., announced Monday.

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Sarkisian is one of 26 head coaches tabbed to this year’s preseason watch list. Last season, Sarkisian was honored on both the 2024 Dodd Trophy preseason and midseason watch lists.

The Dodd Trophy celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

Following the 2024 season, Sarkisian was named a Bear Bryant and George Munger Coach of the Year finalist for the second-consecutive year. Texas posted a school-record-tying 13 wins and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals for a second-straight year. Texas’ 25 combined wins in 2023 and 2024 were the most for the Longhorns since that same total in 2008-09. Sarkisian led his squad to a No. 1 ranking in one of the major polls for four-straight weeks, marking the program’s first No. 1 ranking at any point in a season since 2008.

Texas ranked third in the FBS in scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and total defense with an SEC-best 283.4 yards allowed per game. The Longhorn defense forced an SEC-leading 31 turnovers (2nd FBS) including an FBS-best 22 interceptions, and nearly three sacks (2.88/15th FBS) per game. Offensively, the balanced Longhorn attack averaged 278.8 passing yards (14th FBS), 158.8 rushing yards and 33 points (29th FBS) per game. Sarkisian’s explosive offense produced 21 plays of 40 or more yards (10 of 50+) and saw running backs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner each have a rush and reception of 40-plus yards. Wisner rushed for 1,064 yards, extending Sarkisian’s streak to 13-straight seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher during his tenure as a head coach or offensive coordinator.

Five players earned All-America honors, including OT Kelvin Banks Jr., DB Jahdae Barron, DT Alfred Collins, LB Anthony Hill Jr., and DB Michael Taaffe. Banks became the Longhorns’ second-straight Outland Trophy winner and the first Texas player ever to sweep the Lombardi Award and Outland. Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back (and was UT’s first-ever defensive back to be a Nagurski Award finalist), EDGE Colin Simmons claimed the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award and was tabbed a Freshman All-American, while center Jake Majors was a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete/Campbell Award finalist. Seven Longhorns earned All-SEC honors with QB Quinn Ewers, TE Gunnar Helm, RB Quintrevion Wisner and DB Andrew Mukuba joining Banks, Barron, and Hill. Banks earned the SEC’s Jacob Blocking Trophy, which is given annual to the league’s most outstanding blocker. Four different UT offensive linemen earned SEC Lineman of the Week honors. The Longhorns had school record 14 players invited to the NFL Combine in February 2025.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2025 season.

A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The winner of the 2025 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Starting in September on a weekly basis, the Dodd Coach of the Week Award will also honor coaches whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.

Sarkisian and Texas open the 2025 slate at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Aug. 30, at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The game will broadcast on FOX with Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline reporter) on the call.

(via Texas release)