Steve Sarkisian Media Availability #stevesarkisian #texasfootball #texaslonghorns #secfootball #sec

little recap from uh Saturday's scrimmage uh I was pleased um in the fact that I really felt like we made strides from one week to the next and a lot of times that's hard to quantify because you're trying to look at all three phases of your team you're looking at depth you're not just always looking at Frontline starters but it just felt faster um it felt like we were more efficient felt like there was we we were moving at a better Pace offensively uh not that it was all just go fast but even you know just getting lined up shifts emotions I think that forced uh more communication from our defense uh which we needed we were trying to emphasize there um uh you know I thought on special teams we were playing faster um and we're starting to realize kind of who are going to be some of our key components on special teams as well um and so that that was real positive and and so coming out of that as we head into this week you know we we kind of have what we call a mck game on Saturday where we kind of work all of our substitutions and situations that might come up Saturday so we treat this week like a game week and although we haven't started school all of our timing and practices and meeting times will be exactly as if we were in we were in class so that we can start creating some of those habits on their daily routine and what they need to do to handle um their preparation from a football standpoint but still managing their personal lives so we're working on that and then more importantly than that I I just touched on with the team like we really got to we really got to drill down on the little things this week right there's everybody's got the little things the details at their position uh to really wire into and at that point when they do that that that's how they earn the trust of us that we can count on them to do the big things uh when when the games come around so um I've been impressed with this team I I love I love like I said just the camaraderie of this group uh they're very connected they work well together they're they they hold each other accountable uh and that was no different Saturday and so uh the one thing I'll touch on too I thought the offense took care of the ball much better uh Saturday you know coming out of that first scrimmage the ball was loose I think we had about five turnovers this past Saturday we had one uh and it was another great Red Zone turnover that the defense now two weeks in a row has been able to create so that's good for them too so again I'm trying to look at it from a 10,000 foot view uh and not through a straw just as what does the offense do but as a team uh and I've been I've been impressed with where we're at Steve just quick F on the run back just at this point in the game would it even be feasible for you to possibly get a run back from the portal or entertain that if so would you entertain well we are I mean we we definitely have a spot that we can utilize um again you know a lot of times this late in the game it's probably not a traditional transfer maybe more of a graduate transfer something of the sort um so we're we're kind of looking at all of our our options there again we just don't want to take a body to take a body um if it's someone that that can that can help us in in some capacity maybe maybe limited role bigger role whatever that is uh we are we are looking at all options that way where you at healthwise it sounded like Majors miss the scrimmage with yeah we're great healthwise quite frankly um been I mean credit to coach beckon and his staff uh for the work that they did this summer uh credit to our training staff you know a lot of the guys you we had a couple guys comeing in a little limited and they've everybody's back working um and at this juncture of training camp you know again we've had a couple tough injuries you know season ending injuries that that you have to deal with um but we're really not missing you know many players at all that are that are kind of out um you know we're we're making some business decisions as a staff on on what we need to do and a guy like Jake major who's who's been here for 15 years and started about 100 games uh I don't know if he necessarily needs that scrimmage but I needed some of those other centers to get some work and so you make you make those types of decisions on what you think is in the best interest of your team long run and um I I likened it a little bit too it's probably not a whole lot different from NFL pre season football um there's a reason you know the starters you know maybe get a couple series or maybe a half about that third preseason game but they're getting them ready for showtime and so we we're having to look at it the same way Steve when you say a business decision are running backs still live given the two injuries or are you trying to scale that back no contact no they're not no contact they're definitely thud and we need them to get need them to get thudded um we we're trying to minimize them going to the ground um and that would be not a whole lot different than we normally would be um you know somebody reminded me of a couple backs I've had in the past they were truly no contact all season long when you when you have one guy and we're fortunate we've got three really good players back there right now so they're definitely still thud they need to get hit they need the strip attempts they need to punch out opportunities by the defense as they as they learn to take care of the ball um but again we really don't want them going to the ground um for some you know those that those are unnecessary hits and Falls they have to take so um but but again it's still our practice are still very physical that way separation in your receiving group but feel like these are your top three or four yeah it's it's a tough deal man as I said you know we have we have six guys that I feel very comfortable with playing in the games and and I would say coming out a Saturday I would say seven Ryan niblet has really come on here in the last week week and a half and I've been very impressed with him not only offensively but also on special teams and so that's a credit to him I I told him that today on the field I was really proud of him because he just continued to work so we're very comfortable that way I I think what we've found out coming out of Saturday is the right combination of guys on the field you know of of you know who are your who's your speed guys and and who's good at doing what um and as a play caller understanding who you want on the field for what so it's getting shifting back maybe to a little bit more of that NFL mentality of putting guys in very specific spots rather than just three guys out there the whole time so it's a shift and a change and that's okay um but I think it's the right combination of players on the field is probably more important and then who's the top three and I I think that that's something that uh myself coach Jackson coach milwe um you know we're we're working on trying to get that right mix of guys at the right time on the field are you deep enough to sub three at a time easily yeah we could very easily do that when you think about tackling and just how that's been how how would you evaluate tackling so far yeah no we we tackle a lot um you know we all of our team run sessions have been live you know and and up until the last kind of half the last portion of last week um so we tackle air amount we work on tackling a ton um you know I I felt like there was a few opportunities La in the scrimmage Saturday where um we got we gave up some leaky yardage on some tackles that I would have liked us to to make a little bit cleaner um and that that is different for a backer because a lot of times on like what's call a check down to a running back maybe his back is turned and when he turns and faces you up it's different than when you're somebody's looking at you from a distance and you're making that tackle but his backs turn he turns and we've got to be better at bringing our feet and wrapping up there um but again that's not uncommon at this juncture we just got to continue to work that aspect of our tackling but for the most part I didn't see just blatant really poor tackling uh I I did see a high level of physicality especially from some guys that haven't shown it in years a year years past that are starting to grow into our style of play you talk about it talk about the NFL preseason you have a reference to Jordan Winnington uh Byron you know Murphy be uh worthy what they're doing in the preseason I I don't have to reference those guys because they they know about it before I do they're all on you know Twitter and social media whatever else and so it's like instantaneous when they make a play uh it's everywhere but I'm really proud of those guys and um you know I I saw Cooper cup talking about Jordan Winnington the other day and just singing his Praises for for what he's done and and I think you know those guys are all you know they're a byproduct of our program and I think that should only instill you know confidence in our current players that what we're doing is right and as we're as we're competing and working to try to go win a championship this fall we're also putting them in in a really good position to prepare them to fulfill their dreams of playing in the NFL and I think all those guys are are living examples of that and so hopefully they serve as as good inspiration for our guys you go 2:30 in the mock game Saturday yes we will how's everybody dealing with the heat we're doing pretty good you know I I I was just talking to to Bianco about this walking in you know like our guys have responded really well naturally when you first start training camp you know we went at 2:30 the first two days and you have you have the double digit cramp guys right you're you're 15 16 17 18 guys with cramps well for the last two weeks I haven't had anybody cramp and so they get acclimated to it um again we're being very mindful of our approach with that um but I do think it is important to expose our guys to it and I would be doing them a disservice if I never practiced at 2:30 and then Trott it out in DKR August 31st and expect them to perform at a high level um because the sun is a distraction just like anything else whether it's extreme cold extreme rain extreme heat you know you you we still have to operate they're they're not going to cancel the game they're not going to move it into the bubble up top you know we're we're going to have to play it and and we're going to have to play a lot of people and I think that's why our our guys have have practiced the way that they have you know we feel very comfortable with our 2D um sometimes it's hard to tell the difference and that's great and our threes are coming so we're going to need all the depth that we've you know assembled on this roster early in the season with the heat the way that it is question for you coach um are you approaching it we recuring that you think you're going to have 105 in upcoming season or 85 and how are you guys internally handling that well we're it's still we're still it's under discussion in our building um because you know again there's as you look at the potential numbers and what they look like we still have a current roster of players on our team now as well and you know I again I I I was always a proponent from day one that I didn't want Walk-Ons to go away I I think they serve a lot of value in your locker room and on your team um and so you know what does that number look like for us if if in fact it does settle in It's A Hard fast 105 does that mean we have to have 105 scholarship kids or can we have 90 or 95 and still have a a space and a place for um walk-on types or even partial scholarships so there's a lot of things that are unknown for a still um but yeah does it does it a lot us maybe a few more numbers and and does it always have to be a high school kid or maybe those are portal spots that we can look into and we can just focus on the 25 high school kids so there's a lot of ways of doing it um you know we're we're trying to be really um kind of diligent in our approach of just looking at every angle we're really trying to tap into a lot of guys in the NFL and how they manage it that way um to see to see what's what's best for us and I'm sure everybody's going to do it a little bit differently and we just want to make sure we do what's best for us examp how Quinn has evolved as a leader over this past six months or so you know I I just think one thing was interesting um I want to say it was either Thursday or Friday last week uh we got off the practice field was probably Thursday and uh I had gotten a text from Quinn I don't know maybe 30 minutes or so after practice he said hey coach you know we had a team meeting the next day I think at you know two 45 or something he said coach de mind if we have a player is only meeting at 235 and I had never got that from Quinn right that that in years past that might have been Jordan or Jaylen Ford or one of those guys but for Quinn to be the guy that was calling a player's only meeting um I thought in that moment already you know for me right differently than maybe with the players that this guy is really stepping up and saying Hey I want to have this meeting I want to talk about two or three things with the guys to make sure that we're we're really dialed in and so I know that his rapport with his teammates is tremendous right now I know they look they look up to him with very high regard they know the way he works and goes about his business but yet he's definitely more vocal I mean I can see that on the field as I'm out there even in scrimmages picking guys up talking to lineman you know letting a pass rusher know that was a nice pass rush things of that nature he's just much more engaged but on the flip side for me as the head coach the fact that he's calling that meeting that's different that hasn't happened the past couple years Makowski said that he told uh Anthony Hill last year you're a hell of a football player you're not a very good backer how where have you seen Anthony Hill make the most progress well I think that you know and again not to take anything away from anybody but I I do think the Rapport he has with Coach nanson has been one that has been a real positive um I think there's a really good connectivity there um I think you know his his understanding of uh route combinations in the past game his understanding of blocking schemes in the Run game um his ability to communicate um are all things that I think his level of play has really increased now he's still a tremendous pass rusher and utilizing him to do that he's still a very violent player when he gets around the ball um and he he will strike people um but but he's his instincts are have always been his instincts he gets to the football I think he's fine-tuned kind of the fundamentals the techniques and and the keys and what he's seeing and playing with a little bit more patience is definitely things that have shown up to build on Danny's question you've been with Quinn a while now how has how have y'all's conversations evolved over time can he can y'all sit in the film room together now and him I don't I don't even know if even has to be in the film room I can do it on the field with him now you know we we can talk about very subtle things and those conversations are really quick um you know imagine in year one I'm talking about something an adjustment on one route on one play if it's this coverage and he was looking at me like what play is that again you know and now when I say those things we just did it on the field he said oh yeah yeah I got that you know I'll remind him so it it's just the Comfort level of for him being in the system the Comfort level for us having had a lot of real dialogue now you know going into year three and and some and some really good moments and some tough moments and having to get through things um but in the end I think it's thinking alike right and and me understanding the things that he likes and the types of throws he likes to make is has helped him too because uh I can understand why he makes some of the throws he makes or tries to because that's his comfort level and those are the things that he likes to do and not not that they're always complete but I understand why he's doing that and so I think there's just a lot of growth um for the two of us with one another but I think that also lends itself to that the dialogue is very clean and it's easy short time here what spaces he carved out in the rotation and also in the locker room Silas is a unbelievable work ethic um he football matters to him he's very serious about it you know he has a great deal of experience and he has a great deal of experience in in an NFL style offense and so a lot of our Concepts and things that we do aren't foreign to him um he has Elite Speed clearly he's a Fearless player um and so we don't view him as a specialty player we view him as a a regular every down player like any other receiver and I think he's going to have a real impact on our team this fall Steve you mentioned you mentioned about Jake sitting out the scrimmage similar to just seen the preseason right now in the NFL and also your wide receiv rotations may be similar to what we see in the league based off situation um how often do you find yourself referring back to your NFL days with this team and how to guide this team well you know I all of it you know I'm even looking at practices right now you know and we pride ourselves on practicing tough and hard and things of that nature but that's why this summer you know I I talked to Andy Reid on the phone I talked to bill bich on the phone and talked to Kyle shanan on the phone and Shawn McVey guys who have you know year after year play into the playoffs and how they manage team how they manage their by weeks and so um you know as much as it is you know in-game NFL mentality I I think it's also in in prepping your team for a long season and and how do you do that but still make sure that they're prepared to play weekend and week out and so um again I'm not dealing with you know 28 to 32y Old you know you know 5 to 10 year NFL vets I still have 18 to 22y old guys that are still learning how to play and there's a fine line in that um but again you know I'm I'm hopeful that that we play good football all year and that we're fresh and we're fast and I think that's a that's a big asset of ours is our team speed and I don't want to lose that by overworking our guys um but but I also want to make sure that we keep our Edge because I do think there's a style of play that we've created around here that is one that is physical and tough and hard Nos and um we want to we want to maintain that as well how about Colorado State I know they started being planning for you today what El said that I I have a feeling it might have been before then but uh coach norell is a great coach I've known him a long time got a ton of respect for him um he's been around some great coaches throughout his career as well um you know they've they've evolved you know um I was talking about him earlier you know he was that he was a West Coast guy for a long time you know Bill cahan that whole crew and they've evolved obviously to more of an air raid approach and they they can throw it around the quarterback's very talented the receivers very talented but they run the ball probably a little more than you than people would think in that style of offense um I think they're very sound defensively um you know that is not you know they're not uh you know some sort of gimmick defense they they play sound hard-nosed football they're a very good team they've gotten better you know they continue to improve and we know they're we're going to get their best shot and so we we'll get we'll get going on them when when time's ready too why coach you've seen two weeks of scrimmage now with the defensive line how they kind of graded out is there anything that you've learned about that group that made you didn't know coming in yeah I think a couple things one I mean I've been really impressed Alfred and Vernon had played at a very high level um kind of what you'd expect you know I I think back to you know sweat a year ago and and what his last year look like I even think back to Morrow ojimo and and cober and they had their best year kind of at the end of their at the end of their run and and you kind of see it with those two guys and so that's been impressive the the three transfer guys I've seen really good steady growth you know everybody comes from a different program and how they work and how they practice and and the expectation of them um but between you know Bill Germaine and and and tia I've seen them really start to grow and step up and and play our style of football um which is which has been extremely helpful uh naturally I still see the flashes from a j blo and that that is that is encouraging I see Aaron Bryant being a productive player um I see Sadir flash which is good um and I and I see a lot of upside in in our two young guys in Melvin and Alex and so it's it's a very good room um it's a room that we're going to need those guys I mean again they have to play at 2:30 DKR to right I think we think of the Heat and we always think of the skill players running but the linemen have to deal with that too and so that rotation is going to be really critical we can't just rely on a couple guys we're going to have to rely on that unit uh to play well consistently together thanks coach thank you guys have a great day