Bijan Robinson is one of the all-time great Texas Longhorns and he's one of the few that has come out of the program since head coach Steve Sarkisian took over in 2021.
However, while the elite running back excelled for the Horns and continues to do so in the NFL, he shared that there was an undeniable culture problem while he was at Texas, raising concerns that Sarkisian doesn't have his players' mindsets where they need to be to win it all.
"Sometimes, teammates went to the school because of just the name. They weren’t invested in the play; they just went because they wanted to go to frat parties and say, ‘Oh, I’m a football player.’ Like, that’s all," Robinson said in a recent interview.
"And I was like, ‘That’s cool, but I don’t think you’re really getting nothing out of it by doing that. Don’t you want to be a great player? Then do it.’ Like, I just didn’t know where their minds were... their [priorities were] messed up."
I mean, could you hear anything more concerning coming from one of your team's beloved and legendary players?
Bijan Robinson says some of his teammates at Texas wanted the frat parties and the status of being a football player more than they wanted to become great
— katsu (@katsuxbt) October 18, 2026
Bijan: “Sometimes, teammates went to the school because of just the name. They weren’t invested in the play, they just went… pic.twitter.com/zFsJNuVohB
Steve Sarkisian will never win big if this is where the Horns' heads are
If even just one player is more worried about his social status than being the best possible version of himself on the football field, then the Longhorns have a problem.
So, for Robinson to sit there and say that numerous guys on the team had that mindset is beyond concerning for the culture that Sarkisian has allowed to emerge on the 40 Acres.
If this is where the focus is, then Sarkisian will never be able to win on the biggest stages with this team. Prioritizing parties and social status over being the greatest does not equate to a National Championship-caliber team, much less one that could win the SEC or even qualify for the College Football Playoff this season.
Of course, Robinson hasn't been on the roster in four seasons, heading to the NFL in 2023. However, the regressions that we have seen from the Longhorns over that stretch suddenly make a lot more sense now.
However, if what Robinson said still applies to any number of players on Texas's current roster, then we can't expect much out of the Horns this season.
The Longhorns have already suffered back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, who are undeniably lesser teams than Texas is, and that trend could easily continue for the rest of the year if partying is at the forefront of minds.
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