Steve Sarkisian disappoints with new Texas spring game format

In media availability this week, Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian broke some news to the Longhorn faithful that most fans didn’t want to hear. Texas will apparently be running more of a “situational” or practice-style scrimmage instead of an actual spring football game this weekend.

Sark and the Longhorns were originally set to take part in the annual Orange-White spring football game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 23. But Sark’s announcement on April 21 shed some light on what is really about to transpire at DKR this weekend.

Due to the lack of offensive line depth for the Longhorns at this point of the offseason, Texas will be having to do what is often being described as more of a situational-style scrimmage. And the festivities at DKR on April 23 will be capped off by a red zone-style scrimmage between two offensive teams.

Sark also noted that there won’t be any score kept at any point of this practice/scrimmage/situational-style game on April 23. That is likely going to take at least a little bit of fun out of this for the fans.

Steve Sarkisian disappoints Texas football fans with the new non-standard format spring game

All in all, this is obviously very disappointing news for Texas fans ahead of what was supposed to be an actual spring game this coming weekend. But it’s easy to get why Texas isn’t able to pull this off when you look at the offensive line numbers available on the spring roster at the moment.

Texas is shy of a double-digit number of scholarship offensive linemen with both Isaiah Hookfin and Andrej Karic out for the spring game. They don’t really have enough offensive linemen available to confidently field two offensive teams for a spring game for Kyle Flood.

Facing a depth shortage such as this entering the weekend, the Longhorns would’ve had to turn to some former walk-ons to fill out two offensive teams. And that could still put further injury issues at risk if Texas played with this lack of depth in an actual spring game on April 23.

Yet, this depth shortage along the offensive line presents a bigger issue that Texas is facing this offseason. Until most of the incoming freshmen class from the 2022 recruiting cycle arrive on campus later this offseason, Texas is severely short on depth along the offensive line.

Even after all these incoming freshmen arrive during the summer, Texas is still going to be extremely reliant on first-year players. And that is a tough proposition for an offensive line that was one of the shakiest in the Big 12 last season.

Flood, Sark, and the Longhorns will likely find a way to work this issue out later this offseason. But it now looks like it is very much worth Texas looking in the NCAA Transfer Portal for most offensive line depth as this offseason moves along.

Granted, that is a discussion for a different time.

For the time being, Texas fans will at least still get to see some exciting new additions to the program such as quarterback Quinn Ewers, wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, cornerback Terrance Brooks, tight end Jahleel Billingsley, etc., take part in what looks to be more of a scrimmage this weekend.

Texas originally began spring practice back on March 22. There is now just a single practice remaining before the Longhorns take part in this non-standard format spring game this weekend, which is set to begin at 6 p.m. CT on April 23.