Texas football has been on a dominant recruiting run since head coach Steve Sarkisian arrived on campus in 2021. In the last three recruiting cycles, the Longhorns have secured highly-ranked classes, including the nation’s best in 2025.
This level of success on the recruiting trail does not happen by accident. Sarkisian recently elaborated on why so many top prospects are choosing to play college football in Austin, Texas.
Sarkisian Highlights Texas’s Winning Culture, NIL Power in Bold Recruiting Message
Steve Sarkisian has had consistent success at Texas since he took over as the Longhorns’ head coach. He consistently fields one of the best rosters in college football, sends players to the NFL, and has led the program to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons.
In a recent appearance on the “3rd and Longhorn” podcast, Sarkisian explained how Texas’s on-field success makes it the ideal destination for top recruits.
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“I honestly think that this is the best place in the country to come play football at,” Sarkisian said. “Who’s the one school that’s gone to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals? Who’s the one school that, in their first year in the SEC, went to the SEC championship game? Who has the most draft picks in the NFL Draft in the last two years?”
Sarkisian went on to explain that it is not just what happens after you get to Texas, but the program also offers recruits some of the best NIL support in the country. Austin has no major professional sports teams for the Longhorns to compete with for local attention and endorsement opportunities.
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“All the while you’re doing it in the city of Austin, which, oh by the way, is the largest city in the U.S. with no pro sports,” Sarkisian said. “No NFL, no MLB, no NBA. So, who is getting those NIL deals? Who is the pro-sports team? It’s the fastest-growing economy in the U.S.”
Sarkisian’s pitch is strong, and it is clearly working, given the Longhorns’ success on the recruiting trail in recent years. Texas wrapped up the 2025 cycle with the No. 1 recruiting class in the entire country.
Despite the recruiting success and Texas’s proven ability to send players to the NFL, Sarkisian and the Longhorns have not yet been able to win a national title.
With a championship-caliber roster heading into the 2025 season, a Texas title run would cement the Longhorns as one of the premier destinations for top recruits.
