The Texas Longhorns went all-in this offseason, making big splashes in the transfer portal like bringing No. 1 wide receiver Cam Coleman , No. 6 linebacker Rasheem Biles, and top-six running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers. However, through three weeks, it has been a less-heralded acquisition who has arguably made the biggest impact.
Dylan Sikorski was the 36th-ranked interior offensive line prospect and 464th-ranked player overall in this offseason's portal after an up-and-down season at Oregon State in which he made six starts in 10 games. Despite that, head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Kyle Flood brought him in and eventually tabbed him as the starter at left guard after a lengthy position battle throughout spring camp and fall practice.
The decision has been a master stroke; Texas has been the highest-graded pass-blocking team this season according to PFF and Sikorski himself has registered a 91.1. His performance has earned him commendations from many, including 2025 All-SEC first-teamer and left-side-of-the-line mate Trevor Goosby.
Sarkisian and Flood's development of Sikorski, who posted a pass-blocking grade of just 59.9 last season, is among the best work of the pair's five, going on six, years leading the Longhorns' offense. The once under-the-radar three-star recruit has made serious strides in every game this season, with his best performance yet coming last Saturday against UTSA .
Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Kyle Flood during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Sikorski posted a career-best pass-blocking grade of 88.2 on Saturday while keeping up his season-long streak of committing no penalties and allowing zero pressures. Here is a cut-up of some of his best pass-protection work against the Road Runners.
Sikorski played low and strong in his one-on-one assignments, with his hand-fighting technique being particularly sound. He gave quarterback Arch Manning a strong pocket to step into all night, anchoring quickly against bull rushes.
He was comfortable executing a pulling-protection assignment and in slide schemes. He handled stunts well and showed flashes of finding work when he did not have a direct assignment, though he did occasionally look awkward doing so.
He maintained a good base throughout, never extending too far or getting out past his skis. This, combined with his low pad level, allowed him to out-leverage opposing defensive linemen all game.
As impressive as his night protecting Manning was, his performance as a run-blocker was more encouraging. He posted a run-blocking grade of 73.9, the second-highest of his career, which far exceeded his previous two marks of 67.5 against the Texas State Bobcats and 56.1 against the Ohio State Buckeyes .
The Longhorns utilize a varied and complex run-scheme which asks their interior linemen to be proficient at pulling, driving, down-blocking, combo-blocking, climbing, reaching, and more. Sikorski has shown an ability to perform all of these assignments, though it has not been nearly as impressive as his pass-blocking.
While he was still better moving backwards than he was moving forwards on Saturday, he took a real step in the run game. Here is a compilation of his highlights in the ground-game.
Sikorski generated a serious push on drive- and combo-blocks. He was able to torque Road Runners out of gaps on zone-scheme runs through a combination of great footwork, a strong core, and elite hand placement.
He had his struggles in space, particularly as a puller; however, he also flashed an ability to open holes on the perimeter. The pad-level, lower-body strength, hand usage, and intelligence that make him a great pass-protector all transferred to the run against UTSA, something that should continue as the season goes on.
Sikorski was not perfect last weekend, but he made real strides as a run-blocker while his protection of Manning remained stellar for the third week in a row. Sarkisian and Flood have discovered a true diamond-in-the-rough in Sikorski, and his excellence on the offensive line has quietly been a key reason that the Longhorns are concretely the No. 1 team in the country going into Southeastern Conference play.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as Texas Film Room: Emerging Star On The Offensive Line Had His Best Game Against UTSA .
