Texas Longhorns Football

As he prepares for his first year in charge at Texas, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian indicated "The Eyes of Texas" isn't going anywhere. 

"I know this much, 'The Eyes of Texas' is our school song," Sarkisian told reporters Tuesday. "We're going to sing that song, we're going to sing that proudly."

The song became a contentious issue around the football team during the 2020 season.

Texas Monthly's Joe Levin explained how "The Eyes of Texas" came about.

Former university President William Prather was inspired by how Robert E. Lee would tell students at Washington College in Virginia "the eyes of the South are upon you." Once Prather adapted the phrase for the University of Texas, two students debuted what eventually became "The Eyes of Texas" at a minstrel show in 1903.

Levin wrote the minstrel shows continued into the 1960s and served as "fundraisers organized by students and featured white performers singing and dancing in blackface."

In June, a group of Longhorns athletes issued a series of demands they wanted to see followed by the university. The removal of "The Eyes of Texas" as the alma mater was on the list because of the racist history of the song.

Early in the season, members of the football team left the field and walked toward the locker room before the singing of "The Eyes of Texas," angering some fans and boosters.

Athletic director Chris Del Conte addressed the situation in October and said he expected "our teams show appreciation for our university, fans, and supporters by standing together as a unified group for 'The Eyes,' while we work through this issue."

Then-coach Tom Herman supported players who didn't want to take part in the tradition and said there wouldn't be a requirement to be involved. According to The Athletic's Max Olson, the entire situation "was undeniably a turning point" in Herman's tenure.

"That was a rallying point for boosters fed up with Herman, and it created a wild moment of palace intrigue," Olson wrote before explaining it represented a clear point of difference between Herman and Del Conte.

It appears Sarkisian is making sure to avoid a similar conflict with fans and boosters. However, it's unclear whether the coach discussed the issue with his players before his comments Tuesday.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger announced Sunday he's declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.

https://twitter.com/sehlinger3/status/1345861833463312384

Ehlinger threw for 11,436 yards and 94 touchdowns while running for 1,903 yards and 33 scores in four years with the Longhorns.

The Austin, Texas, native had the opportunity to return for another season since the NCAA allowed Division I fall athletes to have an additional year of eligibility because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ehlinger's decision doesn't come as a surprise, though.

It looked like the Longhorns were turning the corner when they defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, leading to Ehlinger's famous postgame interview in 2019:

Sam Ehlinger has a message for Texas fans 🤘 pic.twitter.com/zWmYYHCV5V

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2019

In his announcement video, he referenced how he felt a strong connection to Texas well before officially enrolling at the school. Perhaps that deep passion eventually worked against Ehlinger since he will have felt the weight of the program's failure to make a breakthrough.

He would also have needed to learn an entirely new offense after the Longhorns fired Tom Herman and hired Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian told reporters Saturday he planned to reach out to Ehlinger.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Ehlinger as the 10th-best quarterback in the 2021 draft class. Although the second-team All-Big 12 passer is unlikely to be one of the first at his position off the board, he should hear his name called this spring.

Texas, meanwhile, will need to find a new starting QB for 2021.

Casey Thompson threw for the second-most yards (225) and six touchdowns in 2020, but Hudson Card might have the inside track. Card was the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2020. True freshman Ja'Quinden Jackson would've been in the race as well if he hadn't confirmed his plans to transfer to Utah. 

Given the obvious pressure he'll face right out of the gate, Sarkisian could instead look to a graduate transfer, which has been a fruitful strategy for Power Five programs looking for immediate help.

It's understandable to be skeptical. After more than a decade of expectations that have largely gone unmet, it's only reasonable to assume that the new head coach of the Texas Longhorns, Steve Sarkisian, will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.

The news alone will take a bit of time to process. In the aftermath of the College Football Playoff semifinals—a day that saw Sarkisian help lift Alabama to a national championship appearance as the team's offensive coordinator—the 46-year-old was abruptly named the head coach at a school with seemingly endless resources.

It is bold. Surprising. Expensive. And although it'll be met with strong, mixed opinions, it has a chance to be exactly what a program still trying to find itself needs at precisely the right time.

"This is a unique and compelling opportunity to lead this storied program to the next level, competing once again amongst the best in college football," Sarkisian said in a statement released by the school.

Welcome to Texas, @CoachSark! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/6jHwJPoLtA

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 2, 2021

Tom Herman, after being told a few weeks ago he would still be at Texas in 2021, is no longer the coach of the Longhorns. Instead, he will reportedly collect a $15 million buyout after Texas announced it was making a change at head coach. If his coaching staff is also let go, it could cost Texas $24 million to again reboot its football program.

Texas, despite the occasional signs of being back, isn't back. In the past 11 years, the Longhorns have won double-digit games just one time. For some perspective, Syracuse has the same number of 10-win seasons during that time. Arkansas has done it twice.

For a program as resource-rich as the Longhorns are—the kind of resource-rich that can make a move like this possible—these results are simply unacceptable.

Along the way, there have been moments. In fact, Herman's perfect 4-0 mark in bowl games has inspired optimism for the future each offseason. Even this year, after Texas thoroughly dominated Colorado with young players showing flashes on offense, we slowly started creeping down the same rabbit hole.

The decision to fire Herman came as a surprise. Not because of his resume and a 22-13 conference record in Austin, a record that speaks volumes to the program's inability to regain its status as one of the Big 12's premier programs. Instead, after pursuing Urban Meyer late in the year, it felt like Herman was likely to get one more crack solely because another candidate didn't emerge.

But that is not the case now. And once the national championship is played on January 11, Sarkisian, who will lead Alabama's offense during that game, will be asked to do what Herman and Charlie Strong could not.

The journey to Texas, of course, is one filled with incredible highs and challenging, public lows for Sarkisian. The former head coach at Washington and USC, Sarkisian was fired by the Trojans in 2015 following a series of events related to alcohol use.

After entering rehab, Sarkisian resurfaced at Alabama, first as an analyst and then the team's offensive coordinator. He spent time in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons as offensive coordinator before returning to Alabama in the same role.

This season, Sarkisian was named the winner of the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football.

In Sarkisian, Texas will inherit one of the best, most creative offensive play-callers in the sport. While having an arsenal of gifted players has unquestionably aided Sarkisian's efforts these past few seasons at Alabama, his work has been extraordinary nonetheless. In back-to-back seasons, the Crimson Tide have the nation's No. 2 scoring offense.

Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment over those two seasons is the way he transformed quarterback Mac Jones into a Heisman finalist in a matter of 14 months. Texas had some success with Sam Ehlinger under center, but Sarkisian's presence should provide an immediate jolt to the position and the offense.

Quarterback Casey Thompson, who came in for the injured Ehlinger during the team's bowl game and responded with an electric performance, could be a fascinating player to watch in 2021. As will freshman Bijan Robinson, the team's star running back, who blossomed during the second half of 2020.

Where Sarkisian could have his greatest impact in the coming months, however, is recruiting. While he was able to develop Jones into one of the sport's elite QBs, Sarkisian also recruited and landed 5-star QB Bryce Young. The California native is widely considered the future of the program.

"Sark was definitely a catalyst," Craig Young, Bryce's father, told Bleacher Report earlier this year.

For Texas, this part is vital. Having to compete with Texas A&M, the SEC and beyond, landing the state's elite talent was an issue for Herman in recent years. And given the unknown surrounding his future, Sarkisian will have to hit the ground running.

Having just produced three of the top five Heisman finishers on offense at Alabama, it would not be shocking to see Sarkisian land an elite class in short order when he arrives. This part has always come naturally for him no matter where he coached, and the vision will likely be extremely appealing for many in the months ahead.

In 2021, these are ingredients to prolonged success. Offense and recruiting. It's where the Longhorns' primary competition, Oklahoma, has thrived under Lincoln Riley. It's where a program like Texas, with so many benefits, could thrive under the proper guidance.

He's not Urban Meyer. And given his history and fallout at USC, it's understandable why some will not completely embrace this hire. But Sarkisian seems, thankfully, to be in a good place emotionally and physically. And while it is only natural to obsess over the biggest names in the sport—a path Texas has traveled plenty of times before—the Longhorns have hired someone that other coaches in the conference will fear.

It will still take time. Sarkisian won't inherit DeVonta Smith or Najee Harris or perhaps the best offensive line in college football. Texas, while not devoid of excellent football players, will still be a work in progress. But Sarkisian will provide a spark, and the impact could be immediate.

What happens next, of course, remains to be seen. For Herman and Charlie Strong, success was not sustainable. When they were hired, there was optimism that they would be the ones to bring Texas "back."

More than a decade later, and Texas is still searching. The Longhorns will turn to a coach who has undergone his own football and personal rebirth over the past 10 years, a coach with the traits to lead a major college football program in 2021 and beyond.

It was not the move we expected nor one we saw coming, and perhaps that's exactly what this program needs.

The University of Texas announced it hired Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to be the next head coach of its football program after parting ways with ex-coach Tom Herman.

Sarkisian spoke with reporters Saturday about his new squad.

"I think there's championship talent on this team," Sarkisian said. "Clearly, there's work to be done or a change wouldn't be made."

Sarkisian inherits a Texas program that went 7-3 and finished its season with a 55-23 win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

The talent is there for the Longhorns, whose recruiting class of 2020 ranked eighth on 247Sports' list. The classes of 2019 and 2018 each finished third.

The question is whether Sarkisian can mold that talent into a consistently successful program not seen since Mack Brown was roaming the sidelines in Austin from 1998 to 2013. Sarkisian's first game running the Longhorns will be Sept. 4 against Louisiana.

Sarkisian added: "Now it's my responsibility to make the perception become a reality that Texas is a perennial powerhouse, that we are always in the discussion year in and year out for the College Football Playoff and a Big 12 championship."

Sarkisian's resume includes stints as USC's offensive coordinator and head coach, Washington's head coach and the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator. He holds a 46-35 lifetime head coaching record for USC and Washington in seven seasons.

The 46-year-old has been Alabama's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two seasons and stepped as the Crimson Tide's interim leader in a 42-13 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl earlier this year after head coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19.   

The Texas Longhorns have officially announced Steve Sarkisian will take over as their next head football coach. 

The school welcomed Sarkisian on Twitter:

Welcome to Texas, @CoachSark! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/6jHwJPoLtA

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 2, 2021

"This is a unique and compelling opportunity to lead this storied program to the next level, competing once again amongst the best in college football," Sarkisian said in a statement, via Brian Davis of the Austin-American Statesman. 

Chip Brown of 247Sports first reported the Longhorns were going to hire Sarkisian. 

Texas' head coaching job became a surprise opening Saturday when Tom Herman was fired. The move came after athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement Dec. 12 that he wouldn't make a coaching change:

"There has been a lot of speculation about the future of our football coach. My policy is to wait until the end of the season before evaluating and commenting on our program and coaches.

"With the close of the regular season, I want to reiterate that Tom Herman is our coach." 

Per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Texas will have to pay Herman $15 million remaining on his contract. 

Herman's dismissal came after the Longhorns wrapped up another solid, albeit underwhelming, season. They finished 7-3 in 2020 but were ranked outside of the Associated Press Top 25 at the end of the year after climbing as high as No. 8. 

Texas only finished inside the AP top 10 once in four seasons under Herman. Its only appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game during that span was a 39-27 loss to Oklahoma in 2018. 

Sarkisian will be tasked with bringing Texas back among the nation's elite programs. The 46-year-old has a resume that suggests he's up to the task. He spent the past two seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and has previously been head coach at Washington and USC. 

The Crimson Tide have finished second in the nation in points per game in each of the past two seasons. They had a streak of 10 straight games with at least 40 points in 2020. 

Despite the Longhorns' recent struggles, the program is still capable of landing premier talent. They have had top-10 recruiting classes in each of the previous three years, per 247Sports composite rankings.

If Sarkisian is able to continue recruiting well and do a better job of developing the talent than Herman and his staff did, it won't take long before Texas is challenging Oklahoma for the top spot in the Big 12 on a yearly basis. 

The Texas Longhorns fired head coach Tom Herman on Saturday after finishing the 2020 season with a 7-3 record.

Texas has fired Tom Herman. Wow. pic.twitter.com/2CqtN14Ioz

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) January 2, 2021

Texas has fired Tom Herman. Will owe him $15 million and the staff nearly $24 million.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 2, 2021

Steve Sarkisian, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was subsequently hired as Herman's replacement. Texas made the move official Saturday afternoon, hours after Herman was shown the door: 

Welcome to Texas, @CoachSark! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/6jHwJPoLtA

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 2, 2021

Sarkisian is in his second stint as an assistant with the Crimson Tide. He first joined Nick Saban's staff in 2016 as an analyst and was promoted to interim offensive coordinator.

Following a two-year stint in the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, Sarkisian returned to Tuscaloosa in 2019. The 46-year-old helped the program win the SEC championship and reach the College Football Playoff National Championship this season.

The Alabama offense has finished second in the nation in points per game in each of the past two seasons. The unit also has two Heisman Trophy finalists this year in quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

Herman, 45, inherited a program with three straight losing seasons under Charlie Strong but found success, earning bowl wins in each of his fours years.

Texas went 25-15 in his first three seasons, including a 10-win campaign in 2018 and a Sugar Bowl victory.

After a loss to Iowa State dropped the Longhorns to 5-3 this season, Herman said he was proud of the team's direction.

"I feel like where we have the program right now compared to where it was when we took over, the future is very bright," he said Nov. 27. "We've won a lot of big games in our time here. ... I feel great about the trajectory of our program and where we're headed and the things that are on the horizon."

But the Longhorns often failed to live up to expectations and haven't won a Big 12 title since 2009.

The squad entered 2020 ranked No. 14 in the preseason Associated Press poll, the fourth straight year it began the year in the Top 25. It underachieved, though, losing to TCU and Iowa State as well as in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.

Herman went 1-4 against the Sooners during his tenure.

The inability to take Texas to the next level put the coach on the hot seat, with athletic director Chris Del Conte "feeling the pressure" to make a decision, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported Nov. 27.

Herman remains a proven coach, having led Houston to a 22-4 record in two years with a win in the Peach Bowl in 2015. He was previously highly regarded as an offensive coordinator, especially with Ohio State from 2012 to 2014, as he won the 2014 Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger suffered a shoulder injury and has been ruled out for the remainder of the Longhorns' Alamo Bowl matchup with Colorado, per the Longhorn Network.

Ehlinger played the first half and went 10-of-16 for 160 yards and one touchdown to help Texas take a 17-10 halftime lead. He was sacked on his final two dropbacks.

Dustin McComas of Orangebloods.com provided more insight:

This freaking sucks. There was a moment I think in the 2Q where Ehlinger was seen shaking his arm/shoulder a bit but I didn't think much of it because he kept on going. Damn. https://t.co/RAYq0XXmqW

— Dustin McComas (@DustinLMcComas) December 30, 2020

Casey Thompson took over at quarterback to start the second half.

Ehlinger has played four years at Texas, but he has the option to return for a fifth season after the NCAA froze eligibility for all fall sports athletes in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ehlinger spoke about his options—either returning to Texas or heading for the NFL—on Dec. 23, per Chip Brown of Horns247.

"I'm blessed to be in a position where there are two really positive options," Ehlinger said. "After the bowl game, I'll sit down with my family and people I trust and talk it over and see what's the best direction to head."

As Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman noted, Ehlinger will finish second in school history with 11,336 career passing yards, 94 career touchdowns and 923 completions (all behind Colt McCoy) if he decides to leave UT.

Ehlinger led the No. 20 Longhorns to a 6-3 regular-season record in 2020. He accounted for 33 total touchdowns (25 passing, eight rushing) while completing 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,406 yards and rushing for an additional 382 yards.

Texas' best season under the four-year starter occurred in 2018, when the Longhorns reached the Big 12 Championship Game, defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and finished No. 9 in the Associated Press and coaches polls.

Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai on Monday announced his intention to declare for the 2021 NFL draft and will not play in the team's bowl game.

"Now that our regular season has ended, I have made the tough decision to go ahead and begin to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft," Ossai said in a statement. "As a kid, I dreamt of playing at Texas and going on to play in the NFL. I feel the time is now right, and even though it is bittersweet, I am excited to face this new challenge."

Ossai is considered one of the top pass-rushers in the 2021 class. He recorded 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks in nine games this season and is equipped with elite size and agility for the position. His foot speed and strength should allow him to play either edge spot rather than being pigeonholed as a linebacker or defensive end.

CBS Sports ranks Ossai as the No. 29 overall prospect in this year's draft. Players with his physical qualities tend to impress at the combine and individual workouts, so Ossai should be able to lock himself into the first round with strong performances.

At the very least, Ossai will be the first Texas player off the board in April, with the lower end of his projection being somewhere in Day 2.

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has confirmed that Tom Herman will remain head football coach in 2021. 

Del Conte addressed the Longhorns' coaching situation in a statement released Saturday:

Statement from Texas AD Chris Del Conte.
“I want to reiterate Tom Herman is our coach.” pic.twitter.com/51V7vhvBDs

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) December 12, 2020

There had been speculation about Herman's future when Urban Meyer was reportedly intrigued by the Texas job. 

Chip Brown of 247Sports reported on Dec. 6 that Meyer "indicated" to Texas that he is "leaning toward not coaching again due to health reasons."

Meyer has been serving in his current role as a television analyst for Fox Sports since retiring from Ohio State after the 2018 season. 

Herman has been with the Longhorns since November 2016 when he replaced Charlie Strong. The 45-year-old looked to have the program trending in the right direction when they won 10 games during his second season. 

Since the start of 2019, however, Texas has won 14 of 22 games and has a 6-3 record this season. Recruiting isn't a problem, as the Longhorns have finished in the top 10 of 247Sports composite rankings every year since 2018. 

Herman is signed through the 2023 season after receiving a two-year extension in May 2019. He is 31-18 overall in four years at Texas. 

Former Wyoming, Texas and Purdue head football coach Fred Akers died at the age of 82 on Monday.

Akers' wife, Diane, confirmed the news to Kirk Bohls of Hookem.com. The coach suffered from dementia.

Texas mourns the passing of longtime Longhorn Football coaching great and Texas Athletics Hall of Honor member Fred Akers.https://t.co/KEchf4dcnF pic.twitter.com/eIIpIZHvZK

— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) December 8, 2020

He starred as a halfback, punter and kicker during his playing days at Arkansas and became a high school football coach in Texas at age 24. He coached at Wyoming from 1975 to 1976, Texas from 1977 to 1986 and Purdue from 1987 to 1990 and finished his career with a 108-75-3 record.

Akers was best known for his time with the Longhorns, where he narrowly missed on two national championships and coached Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell. Texas would have won the 1977 national title if it had defeated Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl and the 1983 one if it had beaten Georgia in the Cotton Bowl.

The school noted only Darrell Royal and Mack Brown have more wins as a head coach at Texas than Akers' 86.

He also won the Southwest Conference in 1977 and 1983 and finished in the Top 10 four different times while amassing an 86-31-2 record with the Longhorns.

Akers is in the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.