Steve Sarkisian rooted out 'entitled' culture at Texas as No. 1 Horns aim to be 'team that gets over the hump'

Texas has come a long way since Steve Sarkisian took over the program in 2021. The Longhorns enter the 2025 season as the No. 1 team in the country, and they have a potential superstar at quarterback in Arch Manning, but the outlook wasn't nearly as good just four years ago.

In an interview with Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Sarkisian revealed the biggest challenge he faced upon taking the job in Austin. The Longhorns have a rich history, but Sarkisian found that too many players and personnel believed that success would transfer to them via the power of the Longhorns logo.

"We had players that would pick and choose when they want to do things the right way," Sarkisian said. "We had players and people in the organization that were entitled because they put the Longhorn logo on every day and think they deserve success. We had people that want to be good but have no idea what it means to be great."

That's why Sarkisian prioritized toughness as he tried to reinvent what had become a stale culture at Texas. It's a trait Sarkisian had to learn himself after was dismissed at USC in 2015 and forced to rebuild his career. One of the Texas players who experience that change firsthand was receiver Jordan Whittington, who says he benefitted from Sarkisian's more hard-nosed approach.

"When someone gets on you like that and you have the right mindset, you take it and turn it into something positive," Whittington said. "I'm glad he didn't hold back."

With time, Sarkisian's approach began to yield results as that toughness showed up more often on the field. The Longhorns have improved their win total each year under Sarkisian and are coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. 

With Manning now at the controls of the offense, Texas is poised to challenge for a national title. Can this Texas team deliver on the preseason hype? Sarkisian says his players are embracing that challenge.

"This group wants to be the team that gets over the hump," Sarkisian said. "Now, we have a ton of work to do, but I do think there's a mentality that you have to get it done, and we have that mindset and pride within this locker room."

It won't take long for Texas to face its first major test of 2025. Sarkisian and his team roll into Columbus for a Week 1 matchup (and College Football Playoff rematch) with No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon.