Well, Steve Sarkisian isn’t just drawing up plays; he’s been writing the blueprint of offensive brilliance for ages. From his electrifying USC offenses of the early 2000s to Alabama’s 2020 national title run, he’s consistently delivered explosive results. After honing his skills in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, he now orchestrates Texas’ potent attack. And that elite QB slate he built? Pretty impressive, as Sarkisian has sent nine to the NFL—six as first-round picks. But his rise wasn’t an overnight miracle. His success is rooted in years of soaking up lessons from offensive masterminds like those within Andy Reid’s coaching tree. And the Longhorns’ last season’s playoff berth proves it.
Last season, Steve Sarkisian’s team averaged 33 points per game, totaling 528 points. Their second quarter was particularly strong, averaging 11.4 points. They converted 42.6% of third downs and 57.4% of fourth downs. Inside the red zone, they scored touchdowns on 63.8% of drives and kicked field goals on 15.9%. Their offense balanced 279 passing yards and 159 rushing yards per game. So now you understand how effectively Coach Sark applied his learnings on the field.
Highlighting the keys to his offensive success, Steve Sarkisian delivers his honest take on the 3rd & Longhorn podcast and says, “In your offense—you know, I think from an offensive perspective, I always try to study those guys who have been so good over the years, right? Clearly, Andy Reid—you know, I mean, he’s a great friend of mine. We got some ties that go way back to BYU back in the day, and so I’ve always admired, you know, the creativity that he’s had. But yet at the end of the day, there’s a foundation to what they do.” No wonder Reid is an absolute package.
Both Steve Sarkisian and Andy Reid played for the BYU Cougars, and Reid was even a graduate assistant. So, their tie goes way back in time. Then comes his offensive expertise. Andy Reid’s NFL journey began in Green Bay, where he rose from assistant offensive line and tight ends coach (1995) to quarterbacks coach (1997), contributing to the Packers’ second consecutive Super Bowl appearance that year. Despite losing to Denver, his play-calling impressed the Eagles, who hired him as head coach. He led Philadelphia to nine playoff appearances, six NFC East titles, and five NFC Championship games, setting a franchise record of 130 wins.
In 2013, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs, immediately transforming them into a winning team. He led the Chiefs to twelve consecutive winning seasons, eleven playoff berths, and five Super Bowl appearances, securing three Super Bowl victories. With a remarkable 144-53 overall record, he boasts the all-time wins record with two different franchises—a unique accomplishment in NFL history. So, when Steve Sarkisian praised him, he wasn’t fluffing. “And a lot of that then goes back to their time at Green Bay—when he was at Green Bay and [Jon] Gruden was there, all those guys were there—and that group of coaches was tremendous when [Mike] Holmgren was the head coach. And that tree of coaches and what they’ve done—so I’ve always kind of followed that tree,” Sark added.
But he is not the only one Steve Sarkisian looks up to. “I’ve definitely paid close attention to Mike Shanahan and what he’s done from a run game and all the play-action pass stuff. And then have grown—and Kyle [Shanahan] and I have a great relationship now—and that whole tree of Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel are a lot of guys that I kind of share ideas with, and I’ll go visit in the offseason,” Sarkisian said.
Now, all that offseason chatter and learning have made things easier for Steve Sarkisian. And now with a new signal caller, Sark is all set to make waves this season too. But only if doubts stop flooding in.
Arch Manning’s breakout season buzz gets a tough verdict
Texas’s 2025 season is shaping up to be a big one, and Arch Manning is squarely in the spotlight. Despite limited playing time last year, the sophomore quarterback is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner at +700 odds (FanDuel Sportsbook). With Texas favored to win the SEC and aiming to break a two-decade championship drought, expectations are enormous. But not everyone’s convinced.
Steve Spurrier, for one, is skeptical. The former Florida coach doesn’t mince words about Manning’s rapid ascent. “I think most people are picking Texas to win the SEC football,” Spurrier said. “They’ve got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman, too. My question is, if he’s that good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? He was a seventh-round pick.” A blunt assessment, to say the least.
The numbers tell part of the story. Manning’s limited action—two starts, ten appearances, mostly rushing—tells only part of the story. Ewers’s season, though prolific (31 touchdowns), was erratic (12 interceptions, 5 in the playoffs), leaving many questioning his Heisman-winning potential. Despite fan skepticism, Coach Sark remained committed to Ewers.
And Steve Spurrier didn’t think twice before pointing it out. “You’ll have to ask Coach [Sarkisian], ‘How come you played that one instead of this one?’” Spurrier added. “Hopefully, he would say, ‘Because we thought this one was better than that one.’ Isn’t that why you would play one guy instead of the other? Unless it was a discipline issue — and there was no discipline or anything. … If one guy’s struggling, give the other guy a chance.” Spurrier, as always, pulls no punches and tells it like it is.
Now, it’s Manning’s turn. His impressive stats—66% completion rate, 969 passing yards, nine touchdown passes, plus 115 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns—suggest he could silence critics and become a top NFL draft prospect. With a legendary football lineage, Arch Manning’s story is just getting started.
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