Hudson Card earns the starting QB nod to start Steve Sarkisian era.
Sarkisian banks on redshirt freshman quarterback to spearhead new era on Forty Acres
Will Hudson Card hold onto the starting job?
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian wanted this decision to be a difficult one. More so, he wanted junior Casey Thompson and redshirt freshman Hudson Card to compete so ferociously that a choice couldn’t be made until preseason had almost wrapped up. Mission accomplished. On Saturday, multiple reports stated Sarkisian had settled on Card as No. 21 Texas’ starting quarterback in Week 1. A source confirmed Card will start against
No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette, though Thompson could also cycle in for some drives throughout the game. During his last full season as a starter in 2018, Card led Lake Travis to the state semifinals while throwing for 3,543 yards and 50 touchdowns with just four interceptions while ranking second on the team with 619 rushing yards and nine scores. It will be interesting to see how much of a leash Sarkisian grants Card, the first-time starter who’s thrown three passes at the collegiate level, given he’s already contemplating playing multiple quarterbacks in the Longhorns’ season opener.
Will Sarkisian unleash Bijan Robinson?
One of the biggest criticisms during Tom Herman’s final season concerned the usage, or lack thereof, of five-star running back Bijan Robinson. Sarkisian probably won’t encounter those same gripes this year considering how often he plans to feed the sophomore tailback. “If we can put a ballpark in that 18to-22 range, roughly 20 touches a game, that puts us in a good position,” Sarkisian said. Robinson rushed 86 times for 703 yards and four touchdowns, plus recorded 15 receptions for 196 yards with two scores in 2020. If he can double those combined touches, which might be a low-end figure considering how Texas plans to deploy its star, and Robinson is looking at 1,798 all-purpose yards and 12 scores. “We’d be remiss not to get him the ball,” Sarkisian added, “so we’ll be sure he gets the necessary touches.”
Can this defensive line grow into an elite unit?
Sarkisian has raved about Texas’ defensive line all offseason. And it’s not just lip service. This is a deep, talented united led by senior nose tackle Keondre Coburn. Texas did lose All-American edge defender Joseph Ossai and interior lineman Ta’Quon Graham, but as always there are blue-chip replacements waiting in the wings like sophomore Vernon Broughton, sophomore Alfred Collins, transfer Ben Davis, senior Jacoby Jones, junior Moro Ojomo and junior T’Vondre Sweat. Texas anticipates breakout seasons from Ojomo, Collins and Broughton, the latter of whom Coburn called “the bestpass rusher we got on the defensive line.” That depth should also allow defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to keep his best players fresh while rotating and shuffling between different fronts. “He’s gonna give you the opportunity to make plays,” Coburn said of Kwiatkowski, “you just gotta execute.”
Could Texas really start 0-2?
Sarkisian isn’t easing into this new gig. No. 21 Texas opens the season at home against No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette, which kickstarted last year’s 10-1 campaign with a stunning 31-14 win over Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. The Ragin’ Cajuns return 20 starters from that team and have every intention of doing to Sarkisian what Maryland did to then-Texas coach Tom Herman back in 2017. Then the Longhorns travel to Fayetteville,
Ark., in Week 2 to take on the Razorbacks. Arkansas is just 7-27 since 2018, but last year it knocked off No. 16 Mississippi State on the road, toppled Ole Miss and Tennessee at home, and lost by a field goal or less to No. 13 Auburn, LSU and Missouri. Arkansas returns 19 offensive and defensive starters from that team, though this season could ride on how well new starting quarterback KJ Jefferson handles the pressure. Still, both Louisiana and Arkansas have the ability to upend Texas and send the Longhorns into panic mode.
Will Sarkisian challenge Riley in Year 1?
Succession strategies rarely unfold as perfectly as Oklahoma’s has since Lincoln Riley replaced Bob Stoops in 2017. Sure, the Sooners have yet to win a College Football Playoff game, but they've also captured four straight conference titles (six overall) with a 45-8 record under Riley’s stewardship. Texas brass handed Sarkisian a sixyear, $35-million contract because they believe he can eventually recreate that same level of success on the Forty Acres. That task will grow far more challenging once both programs move into the SEC by or before 2025, but for now Sarkisian is chasing Riley just like everyone else. The Longhorns feel a ways off from reaching that level of consistent excellence, but Sarkisian can
make a significant statement about Texas’ timeline if he finds a way to upset Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 9.