Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are serious about trying to help Longhorn players fulfill their dreams.

Before yesterday's Texas Pro Day, Sarkisian, who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) after his college career, was asked about its meaning to him.

“It's obviously something we take a lot of pride in,” Sarkisian said [h/t KVUE's Cory Mose]. “All the guys we recruit, you ask them all to a man, they'll tell you they all have the dream of playing in the NFL, right? They all want to play for the Shield. As young boys growing up, through high school, into college, they've all got that dream. And if we have an opportunity to put them in position or even a better position to fulfill that dream, we don't take that lightly.

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“So for these guys today, this is a big day for them. It's not the end-all be-all. They've got a body of work that they put on tape that they're getting evaluated on. Their character is getting evaluated. The combine, pro day, those are all part of the process. But I know it's an exciting day for them to compete in a pro day and to showcase their talents and the work that they've put in.”

Sarkisian, who is entering his sixth season as the Texas head coach, watched on as 16 players participated in the Longhorns' Pro Day, in which all 32 NFL teams were in attendance. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was one of the 16, and he is widely expected to be the first Texas player taken off the board during next month's draft. Hill earned back-to-back second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors, in addition to Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American designation in 2023.