AUSTIN (KXAN) — At the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention and Coaching School on Sunday, Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian shared some of his recruiting philosophy and the symbiotic relationship between the Longhorns and high school coaches.
Sarkisian highlighted that the most recent recruiting class included 25 high school players and five transfers. In the transfer portal era where programs can quickly fill positions with game-ready players, Sarkisian said his priority is to “recruit from the ground up.”
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
“Ultimately, we’re going to take a few transfers, and there are some stop-gap things in there for a variety of reasons, but high school recruiting is where it’s at for us,” he said. “If I can, I want to recruit another high school kid. I would much rather recruit the high school ranks.”
Texas’ modest approach to recruiting transfers puts them at No. 37 in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. Still, the Longhorns landed a couple of big transfers in defensive back Jalen Catalon from Arkansas and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from Georgia. Mitchell is rated as a 5-star transfer recruit and Catalon is a 4-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Louisiana State is ranked No. 1 by 247Sports with 14 recruits with the highest average rating, including eight as 4-star players. While most schools are taking anywhere from 10-25 transfer commitments, one school is taking the transfer portal to an entirely different level.
When Colorado hired Deion Sanders from Jackson State, “Coach Prime” ransacked the portal with 51 commitments. Nine of them, including his son Shadeur Sanders, came with him from Jackson State, but the Buffaloes lived in the portal to put together this season’s roster.
In order to recruit high school players well, especially in a state as talent-rich as Texas, Sarkisian said forging relationships with high school coaches is paramount. He said it’s a two-way street where he wants to support what the coaches do, and in turn, the coaches support him on the recruiting trail.
“They are so impactful for what we do,” he said. “We get players on our roster that are ready to play and contribute to our success because of what they do.”
He also talked about the importance of having a full-time coaching staff member as a liaison of sorts to the high school ranks. When he hired former Austin LBJ head coach Jahmal Fenner as his director of high school relations to replace Chris Gilbert, Sarkisian knew he was getting someone who was deeply entrenched and respected among other coaches in Texas with his track record at the northeast Austin high school.
Sarkisian thinks Fenner is so good that he’ll be gone in a couple of years to take a promotion.
“I’m all about opportunity, and the fact that Chris Gilbert was able to come on board and get a full-time position job at North Texas, and then you hire Fenner who probably in a year or two will be in the same boat, that created the opportunity for the next guy,” Sarkisian said. “We’re about promoting success for people, and I think along the way our players forge great relationships with those guys. If I can be a springboard for them, that’s a huge deal for us.”
Sarkisian lauded the work that Texas high school football coaches do with their players — not only to prepare them for a potential collegiate career but to also help them grow as people.
“The coaching is impeccable. What the high school coaches do in this state is incredible,” Sarkisian said. “When we get the players, they are so much more well-versed to accommodate to what we do and what we ask of them. These coaches have an impact on these young men, and that’s why I want to celebrate them.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — At the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention and Coaching School on Sunday, Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian shared some of his recruiting philosophy and the symbiotic relationship between the Longhorns and high school coaches.
Sarkisian highlighted that the most recent recruiting class included 25 high school players and five transfers. In the transfer portal era where programs can quickly fill positions with game-ready players, Sarkisian said his priority is to “recruit from the ground up.”
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
“Ultimately, we’re going to take a few transfers, and there are some stop-gap things in there for a variety of reasons, but high school recruiting is where it’s at for us,” he said. “If I can, I want to recruit another high school kid. I would much rather recruit the high school ranks.”
Texas’ modest approach to recruiting transfers puts them at No. 37 in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. Still, the Longhorns landed a couple of big transfers in defensive back Jalen Catalon from Arkansas and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from Georgia. Mitchell is rated as a 5-star transfer recruit and Catalon is a 4-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Louisiana State is ranked No. 1 by 247Sports with 14 recruits with the highest average rating, including eight as 4-star players. While most schools are taking anywhere from 10-25 transfer commitments, one school is taking the transfer portal to an entirely different level.
When Colorado hired Deion Sanders from Jackson State, “Coach Prime” ransacked the portal with 51 commitments. Nine of them, including his son Shadeur Sanders, came with him from Jackson State, but the Buffaloes lived in the portal to put together this season’s roster.
In order to recruit high school players well, especially in a state as talent-rich as Texas, Sarkisian said forging relationships with high school coaches is paramount. He said it’s a two-way street where he wants to support what the coaches do, and in turn, the coaches support him on the recruiting trail.
“They are so impactful for what we do,” he said. “We get players on our roster that are ready to play and contribute to our success because of what they do.”
He also talked about the importance of having a full-time coaching staff member as a liaison of sorts to the high school ranks. When he hired former Austin LBJ head coach Jahmal Fenner as his director of high school relations to replace Chris Gilbert, Sarkisian knew he was getting someone who was deeply entrenched and respected among other coaches in Texas with his track record at the northeast Austin high school.
Sarkisian thinks Fenner is so good that he’ll be gone in a couple of years to take a promotion.
“I’m all about opportunity, and the fact that Chris Gilbert was able to come on board and get a full-time position job at North Texas, and then you hire Fenner who probably in a year or two will be in the same boat, that created the opportunity for the next guy,” Sarkisian said. “We’re about promoting success for people, and I think along the way our players forge great relationships with those guys. If I can be a springboard for them, that’s a huge deal for us.”
Sarkisian lauded the work that Texas high school football coaches do with their players — not only to prepare them for a potential collegiate career but to also help them grow as people.
“The coaching is impeccable. What the high school coaches do in this state is incredible,” Sarkisian said. “When we get the players, they are so much more well-versed to accommodate to what we do and what we ask of them. These coaches have an impact on these young men, and that’s why I want to celebrate them.”