How Sarkisian Is Emulating What Saban Did At Alabama

by Kyle Golik

Sometimes, you don’t know the exact turning point when a program transitions from being just good to aspiring for elite status, if not more. For Texas under Steve Sarkisian, I point to the Alabama game in 2022, where the Crimson Tide escaped Austin with a one-point win. Following the game, Sarkisian told his team, “We didn’t lose today, we ran out of time.” Many Longhorns faithful were beside themselves, but what they missed in that moment was that this was the confidence block Sarkisian needed in his foundation.

While the Longhorns spent the rest of 2022 developing that foundation, Texas won seven of their next 11 games. Each loss the Longhorns suffered was by seven points or fewer. Sarkisian was developing the next critical rock in transfer and former five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers .

Sarkisian spoke about the journey Ewers has been on at SEC Media Days , “Year One, you’re coming in as a transfer and you’re just trying to figure it out. Year Two, I think he was really ready to step into the role, (then) he gets that injury against Houston, and then he’s trying to work his way back,” Sarkisian said. “This offseason, this year, he is much more vocal, much more in command of what we’re doing, and has earned our trust, quite frankly, to get us in and out of some things. Just his command and his leadership with a lot of new receivers. You definitely see that.”

Recruiting is the foundational pipeline for college programs and every program has that commit that turns that program around. While Saban was at Alabama, the turning point in recruiting came with a core of players led by wide receiver Julio Jones, along with safety Mark Barron and linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who helped turn the tide for Alabama.

“They all came here when we weren’t any good. We were just coming off a 6-6 season or something like that,” Saban told the media back in 2021. “So they came here and they believed and trusted in what we were trying to do to create a program, and they came here to prove something.”

“There’s nobody that we’ve had that was a better leader or did more to enhance the culture of toughness, giving effort, finishing plays, being a great competitor than Julio Jones did,” Saban said . “I mean, he used to run down on kickoffs and wouldn’t come off the kickoff team during the games, and he’s one of the best receivers in the nation. So from a culture standpoint, from an impact standpoint in the early years, there were a lot of guys that made a great impact, but Julio was one that probably led the way as much as anyone.”

Sarkisian has had Top 10 classes every year since he arrived in Austin, but the biggest name he has landed is quarterback Arch Manning .

While Manning's impact hasn't yet been felt on the field, Sarkisian recognized a similar influence to what Julio Jones had for Nick Saban, "I think there was a direct impact on the rest of the class," Sarkisian said . "I think there was a lot of players in this class that thought 'Man if the No. 1 in the country is going to Texas and believes in what they're doing, that's a pretty good destination for me too."

If Sarkisian has a transformative class, it could be his 2023 haul. Manning is expected to be the true successor to Ewers. While many looked to sophomore running back CJ Baxter as the next in line, a season-ending injury during training camp has raised questions about what Baxter could become. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t contributing.

On ESPN’s College Football Live, analyst Sam Acho detailed Baxter’s impact on the 2024 Longhorns, "I was talking with CJ Baxter -- running back at Texas, who's out for the season -- just earlier today, and he was talking about how he's watching film of the other running backs, critiquing them, showing them how they could be better," Acho said . "Now, of course, he wants to be on the field. There's that pain, that suffering that he currently feels while he rehabs, but he's not wasting his suffering. He's actually using that pain, using that time, making everyone around him better."

Baxter's willingness to give everything and contribute reminds you of how Saban talked about Julio Jones, who worked on kickoffs in addition to being a top wide receiver. That culture of effort and versatility is what made Alabama successful, and seeing Baxter find ways to contribute is a key piece.

The final piece of the class is linebacker Anthony Hill Jr . Hill was a five-star linebacker who was thrust into action in 2023. Once he entered the lineup, there was no going back to the bench for Hill. Hill’s breakout performance came against Alabama where Hill finished with six tackles (four solo), two tackles for loss, and two sacks. Hill finished his freshman campaign leading the Longhorns in tackles and earned Freshman All-American status.

As the transfer portal becomes a more prevalent tool for supplementing rosters, Sarkisian has hit on a few key transfers. Ewers is the biggest success so far, and a key factor in former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond transferring to Texas was the success Adonai Mitchell had last season.

Mitchell transferred to Texas from Georgia after a sophomore season plagued by injury and losing his position in the lineup. At Texas, Mitchell recorded 55 receptions, 845 yards, and 11 touchdowns. This propelled Mitchell to be chosen in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

When Rick Neuheisel said, “Steve Sarkisian is building Alabama in Austin,” in previewing the Michigan game, it's hard to deny that point. Sarkisian has pointed out in many interviews that Saban had a significant impact on his life and how to structure an organization. It should come as no surprise that the Saban blueprint is being implemented in Austin.