Soon to be leading a SEC program, Steve Sarkisian has different recruiting challenges

Former Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian faced particular difficulties when it came to recruiting as a Big 12 issue. Most of those obstacles have been addressed by the Longhorns’ SEC membership, but new ones have subsequently surfaced.

Speaking to Stephen A. Smith this week at a South by Southwest event, Sarkisian described the advantages that his attempts to recruit while wearing an SEC patch on his sleeve had brought to Texas coaches that were previously unattainable.

“I believe it will be significant,” Sarkisian said to Smith. When you take over a program, you inevitably try to figure out where the gaps are and what problems you have. Additionally, the SEC schools were using it against us as one of the things that was occurring to us during the recruiting process. “I take it you want to play in the SEC?” Every year, we have more players picked than any other conference in the nation. We can now take that back and use it.

The Longhorns are no longer in danger because of just one recruitment issue. But joining a new conference comes with a whole new set of challenges. When he was asked what the Big 12 and the SEC were not like, Sarkisian gestured to the trenches.

“The line of scrimmage and the quantity of defensive linemen are, in my opinion, the biggest things about the SEC,” Sarkisian stated. “We’ll enter a lot of Big 12 games and declare, ‘Hey, we need to block No. 90.'” He’s a premier gentleman. He plays in the NFL. It could take one week, two weeks, or three weeks before there is another first-round draft selection. You enter The SEC meets on Saturdays. They may have two, or they may not have one. You could take on Georgia; they have five. That presents a difficulty every single week.

Whether the prospect is from California or Corsicana, those spots represent some of the most toughest recruiting matches in the country.

Twenty-eight of the top fifty defensive linemen in the On3 Industry Ranking for the 2024 class signed with a 2024 SEC member school. Eleven of the top 20 at EDGE signed with SEC schools.

Similarly, when talking about offensive lineman. SEC schools signed 19 of the top 50 offensive tackles and 19 of the top 50 interior linemen.

Future conference games will include not just outstanding players but also outstanding players on outstanding teams in amazing venues. These are a few of the explanations for Sarkisian’s excitement about Texas joining the SEC.

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Fantastic games, stated Sarkisian. “We play Georgia here the very following weekend after playing the Red River Rivalry one weekend. Our athletes are eager to participate in those high-profile games because of those opportunities. It’s an opportunity now. Rekindling the rivalry with A&M will be a great experience.