Texas Longhorns set academic record as Sarkisian stresses discipline on and off field
The Texas Longhorns' 2024 football season was defined by both on-field excellence and academic achievement, setting new standards for the storied program under head coach Steve Sarkisian.
The Longhorns finished the season with a 13-3 record, advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals as the No. 5 seed before falling to No. 8 Ohio State. Their run included a Peach Bowl victory and a narrow overtime loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, solidifying Texas' place among the nation's elite programs.
Texas' talent was further showcased in the 2025 NFL Draft, where a program-record 12 Longhorns were selected - the third-most of any team this year, trailing only Ohio State (14) and Georgia (13). The draftees included first-round picks such as offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (No. 9 overall, New Orleans Saints), cornerback Jahdae Barron (No. 20, Denver Broncos), and wide receiver Matthew Golden (No. 23, Green Bay Packers), reflecting the depth and quality of Sarkisian's roster.
Off the field, the Longhorns reached new heights in the classroom. The team posted a 3.31 GPA during the spring 2025 semester, setting a new program record and surpassing the previous mark of 3.27 achieved just one semester earlier. Sarkisian, who has emphasized the link between academic and athletic success since his arrival in 2021, celebrated the accomplishment, echoing his mantra: 'Who you are some of the time is who you are all of the time!'
'When I got hired in January of 2021, the team GPA was 2.33,' Sarkisian said recently. 'We were a 5-7 football team that fall and had zero NFL draft picks. Now, we're seeing the results both on the field and in the classroom."
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Texas is preparing for a high-profile start to the 2025 season, opening on the road against Ohio State on Aug. 30.
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