The Texas Longhorns are shockingly losing out on elite prospects to the Oregon Ducks

Yes, Steve Sarkisian is building a powerful force in Austin.

However, Sark is still missing out on a few key prospects that are committing to other schools.

One team, that is poaching some talented players from the Longhorns’ hopes more than others, is the Oregon Ducks.

Earlier this year, Oregon’s head coach Dan Lanning roped in four-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson for the Ducks, a player who Sarkisian is still trying to bring to Texas.

Just this week, Lanning secured four-star defensive lineman Josiah Sharma, who had initially included the Horns in his final few schools under consideration.

So, what does Lanning have that Sarkisian is missing? Is it NIL deals, the cooler weather, or maybe the connection to Nike? Let’s take a look at the differences between the two top-tier football programs:

NIL deals

Most, if not all, Division I schools have created collectives for their programs to shell out money toward players through NIL deals.

The Longhorns have the Texas One Fund which has earned over $14 million since its inception in 2021.

The Ducks have Division Street, which is closely tied to Nike, that has turned two Oregon players (quarterback Dillon Gabriel and cornerback Evan Stewart) into top ten NIL earners in the nation.

Don’t get me wrong, both schools wear Nike but there’s something a little different about Oregon’s relationship with the brand’s founder Phil Knight.

Texas and Sarkisian can do as much as possible to catch up to the Nike + UO pipeline, such as lineup Lamborghini’s outside Darrell K. Royal Stadium, but there’s still some work to do.

Climate and culture

Quite literally, Eugene is cooler than Austin, by about 15 degrees during the fall, when football is at its peak.

However, the cultures of the two schools are relatively similar. Both are situated in liberal cities, Austin being nearly six times larger than Eugene.

Until recently, the winning ways of the programs have occurred at very different times, with the Longhorns going through a dry spell while the Ducks rose to their current national standing.

What else is there?

At the end of the day, Steve Sarkisian is an incredibly talented head coach. He has brought the Horns back from a decade-long place of misery.

Maybe, Dan Lanning’s youth is enticing to players looking for a new place to call home.

Both coaches can recruit the hell out of high schoolers, and players in the portal, so maybe fans just need to appreciate both teams and both head coaches.

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