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Why Steve Sarkisian changed his recruiting philosophy to emphasize speed at WR

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s not a coincidence that Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has coached the two fastest players in NFL Combine history.

In fact, the recruitment of Long Beach (Calif.) Jordan wide receiver John Ross by current Longhorns co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen marked a sea change in Sarkisian’s recruiting philosophy at wide receiver.

During Sarkisian’s first stint at USC under his old BYU offensive coordinator Norm Chow, the Trojans were still running a pro-style attack that liked to call iso run plays from two-back formations with big-bodied wide receivers working on the outside like 6’5, 235-pound Mike Williams, the leading pass catcher on the 2003 team, and 6’5, 215-pound Dwayne Jarrett, the leading pass catcher on the 2005 team.