The Longhorns could use help from the transfer portal, but which priorities need to be high on the list for Steve Sarkisian and Co.? The members of the Horns247 staff have their picks for the program’s biggest need during the winter portal window.
Whenever Steve Sarkisian has tried to put the strengths of his 2023 squad into words, versatility is one he’s used a lot, and for good reason. Headed to its first College Football Playoff after winning its first conference championship in 14 years, Texas has won games in a variety of ways.
The Longhorns claimed their fourth national championship in 2005 and played for one in 2009 with Vince Young and Colt McCoy — truly transcendent quarterbacks — leading the way. This season, however, Texas (12-1) earned a date with Washington in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 (7:45 p.m., ESPN) with a trip to the CFP title game on the line without a bona fide superstar guiding it to within striking distance of reaching college football’s summit.
What’s been truly special about the Longhorns during one of the most memorable seasons in school history is that they didn’t use smoke and mirrors to win games, but they did it with the physical edge Sarkisian promised would be a signature of the on-field product under his watch when he took the job. Texas won the line of scrimmage battle in each of its 12 wins with the running game doing its part (a season-high 336 yards against Kansas and 302 yards against Texas Tech while averaging five yards per carry or more in seven of 12 victories) to complement the nation’s third-ranked defense against the run (80.8 yards per game and 2.67 yards per attempt allowed), which held eight opponents to under 100 yards rushing.
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