OTF Premium Steve Sarkisian addresses the departures of Jerrick Gibson, Will Stone from the Texas program

[Jeff Howe]

Steve Sarkisian was available to field questions from the media on Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference ahead of No. 21 Texas traveling to Kentucky for a conference road game on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN). Sarkisian’s normally scheduled obligation occurred one day after the departures of running back Jerrick Gibson and kicker Will Stone from the football program.

When asked what went into their respective decisions, Sarkisian didn’t elaborate beyond the facts of the situation.

“They wanted to redshirt and transfer,” Sarkisian said.

According to Pro Football Focus, the two snaps Gibson logged in last Saturday’s 23-6 win over Oklahoma marked the fourth game in which he’s played this season. The same is true for Stone, who missed the team’s non-conference wins over UTEP and Sam Houston with what Sarkisian indicated was a back ailment.

Gibson, the team’s de facto short-yardage back, rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries. Even with C.J. Baxter Jr. on the mend after suffering a hamstring injury in the team’s 27-10 win over UTEP on Sept. 13, Sarkisian expressed confidence in the other running backs on the roster picking up the slack.

“Who will take those carries is everybody,” Sarkisian said. “Whether that's Tre [Wisner], whether that's Christian [Clark], whether that's James [Simon], whether that's Cedric when he gets back, we've got ample bodies. We should be OK in that aspect of it all.”

Mason Shipley, who handled kickoff duties in the two games Stone missed, will resume those responsibilities, Sarkisian said.

While the Longhorns have enough scholarship bodies at most positions to avoid in-season departures crippling depth at a particular spot, Sarkisian isn’t a fan of players who feel forced to make decisions like the ones Gibson and Stone deemed best for themselves. The NCAA appears to be on the verge of granting student-athletes five years to complete five seasons of eligibility, a model dubbed the “5 in 5” plan, which Sarkisian believes would curb situations like the one Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC) is dealing with while competing for a berth in the SEC Championship Game and a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff.

“I think it's a terrible position to put these players in to make these decisions right now, but there's money involved, there's revenue sharing, there's NIL — there's different factors,” Sarkisian said. “I think it's putting agents and family members and student-athletes in a difficult position to make business decisions in the middle of the season, but that's where we're at. I'm not really here to complain about it; that's just the reality of the situation we're in. When a player asks to do that, I thank him for their time and I wish them the best of luck. I mean, what else are we supposed to do at that juncture? These are the rules that we've put in place. We've got to operate within the parameters of the rules.”

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[Paul L]

What happens if in a few weeks the 5 and 5 is approved.  Is there any way either player is allowed to return to the team?  I am guessing no. 

[General Grant]

aight

[Jeff Howe]

2 hours ago, Paul L said:

What happens if in a few weeks the 5 and 5 is approved.  Is there any way either player is allowed to return to the team?  I am guessing no. 

I don't believe so.

[SuperDave0805]

Hope they do pass the 5-5 rule because the current system stinks