Alright, picture this—Steve Sarkisian, head honcho of the Texas Longhorns, sitting back in an interview, all in his bag, talking about ‘building a culture of vulnerability’ and ‘Our culture has won us some games.’ Sounds deep, right? He’s laying it out, saying he deals with 18-to-22-year-olds trying to find themselves in a world of social media flexing and making themselves look good. But just when you think it’s all about leadership, accountability, and some feel-good coaching philosophy—boom—the NFL’s superman and Ex-Heisman winner enters the chat. And he ain’t buying it and got a $9.6M receipt.
Cam Newton, the former Heisman winner and NFL MVP, offered his thoughts on what Steve Sarkisian was calling ‘culture-building.’ On Feb 28 episode of his show, Cam dropped the hammer, exposing what’s really fueling Texas’ dominance on the recruiting trail: straight-up cash. “Building the culture does take time, but having access to the boosters attached to the University of Texas also helps,” Cam said, throwing that shade with a side of reality. “They have the number one recruiting class—hello—and they also probably have the number one spend in the nation.”
And he’s not wrong. Texas has been moving different in the NIL era, and the money flow is insane. The Longhorns pulled in an adjusted NIL valuation of $9.6 million for their 2025 squad. That’s not “culture”—that’s a straight-up financial flex. Texas ain’t just winning recruiting battles; they’re buying blue-chip talent like they’re shopping at a luxury store. And recruiting? Safety Jonah Williams? Locked in. Defensive line monsters Justus Terry and Lance Jackson? Bag secured. Speedy wide receiver Kaliq Lockett and hard-hitting safety Zelus Hicks? Already on deck. It’s a roster stacked to the ceiling, and the funds behind it are undeniable. The Longhorns finished No.1 in the recruiting, bagging five 5-stars and thirteen 4-stars.
This ain’t just some loose talk. Look, the financial game behind Texas’ recruiting is well-documented. The Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have streamlined their NIL efforts, rolling multiple collectives into the Texas One Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The numbers? Wild. From June to early October alone, Texas athletes raked in $6.1 million in NIL deals, proving that the Longhorns ain’t just playing chess—they’re running the whole board.
Cam Newton wasn’t about to let that slide. “‘Cause what would you say about the culture of Texas now? It’s… it’s expensive. That’s what I would say,” he said. And he’s spot-on. The boosters are throwing the bag around like it’s a game of hot potato, making sure Texas stays ahead of the competition.
Take Horns with Heart, for example. This program blesses every scholarship offensive lineman with $50,000 a year to do charity work. Sounds noble, but let’s be real—it’s also an open invitation for top linemen to keep Texas on their radar. Then there’s the Clark Field Collective, which secured $10 million in pledges to make sure players keep seeing those checks. That’s not just supporting student-athletes—that’s making sure Texas stays in the arms race.
Recruiting or bidding war for Texas Longhorns?
Let’s call it what it is. The landscape of college football has changed. “Them funds gonna make them run, you dig what I’m saying?” Cam said, breaking it down plain and simple. “We’re gonna look back at how college sports have been impacted with NIL, and we’re gonna see the commonalities of teams that are winning are spending a lot of money.” And Texas? They’re spending like their program depends on it—because it does.
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Mississippi State at Texas Sep 28, 2024 Austin, Texas, USA Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leaves the field after the 35-13 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Austin Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxE.xMartinezx 20240928_gma_usa_0506
And this isn’t just a Texas thing. The big dogs in college football—Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State—they all got deep pockets, but Texas has taken it to another level. While Sarkisian talks about “buying into the culture,” Cam’s here saying what everyone’s been thinking: Texas is just flat-out buying players. It ain’t about “vulnerability.” It’s about the money making the moves.
The NIL game isn’t just about recruits—it’s about transfers too. Texas has been working the 2025 portal hard, making sure they don’t just bring in fresh talent but also reload where needed. They snatched up former Baylor and Texas State QB CJ Rogers for depth after Quinn Ewers took off for the NFL. On defense, they beefed up with UNC transfer Travis Shaw and pass rusher Hero Kanu. They even added tight end Amari Niblack and defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea. But it ain’t all wins. Some key players are bouncing too—wide receiver Johntay Cook II, defensive lineman Sydir Mitchell, and edge rusher Tausili Akana all dipped, proving that in the NIL era, loyalty comes at a price. Texas is making sure their price tag stays competitive.
So where does this leave Steve Sarkisian? He’s got the talent, Arch Manning, and he’s got the expectations cranked up to a hundred. But what happens when money alone isn’t enough? At some point, that “culture of vulnerability” is going to run headfirst into the reality of managing millionaire teenagers who know their worth. And if Texas ain’t hoisting trophies by the end of this spending spree, best believe that the $9.6M reality check is going to come knocking—hard.
For now, though? Texas is playing the NIL game better than anyone else; expect maybe Michigan. And if that’s the new “culture,” then Sarkisian’s got a whole lot of accountants to thank. Respectfully, of course.
The post Steve Sarkisian Bluntly Exposed as $9.6M Reality Check Behind Culture Stance Triggers Ex-Heisman Winner appeared first on EssentiallySports.
