Post Loss Venting

[Jaybird]

Afternoon fellas,

Figured I’d type my way through this one as a bit of post-loss therapy.

Last night stung and probably will until about Wednesday. I’d love to hear how Sark and staff can recalibrate now that the playoff picture is basically gone. @Gerry Hamilton has long been one of my favorite voices in the industry, and his humor tends to underline some uncomfortable truths about Texas Football. Sark’s had real success with misdirection, outside zone, and horizontal stress, 2023 being the high-water mark. But as time has gone on, we've seen less and less of a true power identity.

As Gerry mentioned (and @Bobby Burton echoed this morning), it’s not that our guys are being out-physicaled snap-to-snap. It’s that the concepts we rely on simply aren’t physical in nature. That doesn’t mean we should burn the whole thing down like Mack did post-Colt. Quite the opposite: we need alignment at every level of operations. If Sark sits down with coaches, personnel, administration, and recruiting to establish a clear philosophical guide, I genuinely believe this program can course-correct.

I told a buddy this morning that Texas feels stuck in a philosophical no-man’s land. We’re good enough to justify not making major changes… yet also inconsistent enough that a couple more losses could bring outside pressure demanding exactly those changes. And that kind of reactive shake-up is how “alignment,” as CDC calls it, gets blown apart. The sweet spot is internal, organic change initiated by Sark himself.

Assuming that happens and certain coaching upgrades are made, the next step is personnel. We likely have one more year with Manning, and if Texas is going where we all think it can, some tough roster conversations are coming. College football in the NIL era is basically a one-year contract world. If you don’t meet the standard, you can be replaced. And we’ve seen guys flash late in the season, essentially auditioning for the portal or a future staff. That’s the reality.

Positions where upgrades are needed (in my opinion):

Offensive Line
We’ll lose guys to attrition, graduation, and maybe the NFL (Goosby). Depth and competition are musts.

Running Back
Love Tre Wisner unfortunately he’s been pigeonholed but has real production. If he somehow gets a draftable grade, I wouldn’t blame him for going. Assuming he returns, we still need a proven, physical back to take pressure off him and a banged-up Baxter. Simon and Cooper are promising, but we can’t go into another season thin here.

WR / CB
Hard to separate these two in terms of need. We basically ran a turnstile at CB2 opposite Manny (who’s leaving). Meanwhile, WR rotations felt like we were searching for answers every week. Really curious about Santana Wilson—thought he was progressing but he seems to have disappeared.

Linebacker
Ant Hill is gone, and while Atkinson, Bo Barnes, and T.A. Smith bring upside, that’s a lot of inexperience. A veteran presence next to Lefau feels important.

Position Coaches Who Need Upgrades

WR – Not seeing real development from Chris Jackson’s recruits.

DB – Something’s off: too much cushion, technique issues, miscommunication, regression.

Jeff Banks – Penalties are out of control. I thought McEndoo might help TE development, but… not seeing it.

Coaches I Think Are Safe (for now)

Torre Becton
Kyle Flood – He gets heat (sometimes deserved), but he’s produced multiple NFL guys including a first-rounder. Wish he recruited better, but his success is tied closely to Sark’s offensive philosophy.
Chad Scott – First year, late arrival, solid recruiting with Cooper.
Johnny Nansen – Recruiting well, some development wins, some setbacks.

Must Keep

Kenny Baker – The man.
LaAllen Clark – Pass rush has been legit.

Whatever happens, I’ll be there cheering for my alma mater. Curious to see what you guys think.

[dentonhorn]

I have a feeling we will be extremely active in all areas of portal. 
 

After calming down and looking at THIS season we still can salvage a feel decent ending. Thanks to South Carolina we can have the privilege of forever being remembered in Aggie lore as the team that spoiled their unbeaten regular season. Glorious that would be. I just hope the team and coaches get mentally right before Arkansas. 

[alrightalrightalright]

Great write-up @Jaybird. Philosophical no-man’s land is a good way to put it for 2025.

[Lily Elliott]

7 hours ago, dentonhorn said:

I have a feeling we will be extremely active in all areas of portal. 
 

After calming down and looking at THIS season we still can salvage a feel decent ending. Thanks to South Carolina we can have the privilege of forever being remembered in Aggie lore as the team that spoiled their unbeaten regular season. Glorious that would be. I just hope the team and coaches get mentally right before Arkansas. 

Honestly, I feel the same way. The portal is going to be wild for us, and being active in every area might be exactly what we need to reset things.

And you’re right—this season isn’t beyond saving. Taking down South Carolina and ending their unbeaten run would be something this team could hang onto forever. Moments like that can shift the entire vibe of a program.

Hopefully, the players and coaches regroup and get their mindset right heading into Arkansas. There’s still a chance to finish strong if everyone locks in.

[Lily Elliott]

Really solid breakdown. The loss hurt, but you’re right — this is more about a drifting offensive identity than getting out-physicaled. If Sark recalibrates from within and re-establishes a clear philosophy, the program can get back on track without any panic moves.

Personnel-wise, OL depth, a physical RB, and real upgrades at WR/CB feel essential. LB probably needs one steady veteran, too. And yeah, WR/DB coaching development just hasn’t matched the talent.

It’s not a blow-it-up moment, just a “tighten things up and get aligned again” moment. Appreciate the thoughtful post — Hook ’em.

Edited 8 hours ago by Lily Elliott

[Califashorn75]

Goosby needs another year. He's not Kelvin Banks yet. But he will a first rounder if he stays one more year and continues his development.  

[General Grant]

Post more please.   Not sure about Nansen and Flood.  Agree with everything else 

[General Grant]

I can take a loss at Georgia.  Hard to take three in a row.  Hard to take a solid bit&h slap like we got. Kirby pantsed Steve in the fourth quarter.   I’m pleased with the program post Charlie and Herman.  We failed this offseason bad. Get it fixed sark.