Bryan Erwin knows what it feels like when the pressure’s on. The two-time Texas state champion coach is watching the Texas Longhorns closely as the 2025 campaign approaches, and he’s not holding back about where Steve Sarkisian’s squad needs work.
For Erwin, the stakes in Austin couldn’t be higher. Does Texas have what it takes to chase a title, or will a couple of nagging problems get in the way? One thing’s for sure: Erwin wants everyone to know exactly what he thinks needs fixing before kickoff.
What Does Bryan Erwin Say Is Texas’ Biggest Issue for 2025?
In a candid conversation with Bobby Burton of On Texas Football, former Texas high school and college coach Erwin called out what he sees as the biggest weakness for the Texas Longhorns as they head into the 2025 season. The two-time state champion didn’t mince words: the kicking game has to get better.
“To me, Bobby, it’s so evident, so obvious,” Erwin said. “Kicking game, how effective is our punter going to be? How effective is our place kicker going to be?”
He explained that, even though Texas looked like a championship team overall in 2024, special teams play did not measure up.
“We were very, very below average last year,” Erwin continued. “We were not a championship ball club in those two areas. Overall, we were a championship ball club, but we have to be elite with our place kicker.”
According to Erwin, the best college programs always depend on great specialists, not just for points, but to help flip the field at crucial moments. He drove the point home by repeating what he expects from the specialists this season.
“We have to be elite with our place kicker,” Erwin said. “We have to be elite with our punter. Last year, we were just woefully below average. The chip shots have to be 99 percent. The moderate ones, we need to be at about 80 to 85 percent. The long ones, we need to be 60-plus percent.”
Last season, Texas kicker Bert Auburn converted only 16 of 25 field goals. Burton pointed out that the Longhorns took steps to shore up this problem by adding kicker Mason Shipley from Texas State and punter Jack Bouwmeester, who earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and previously made the Pac-12 first team.
Erwin welcomed these additions and pointed out that as long as Bouwmeester can handle the snap, there’s reason to believe the punting game will be a plus.
“I feel good about it, especially when you see the word ‘Australian’ in front of the punter’s name.”
Expanding on that, Erwin clarified that a great punter can completely change how a game unfolds.
“Punting is not a bad play,” Erwin said. “Let’s send the punt team out there and knock it down there. You think about all the great championship teams through the past years, they have an elite kicker. Remember the Dixon days? Michael Dixon was a huge weapon, and he still is in the NFL.”
How Important Is the Run Game for Arch Manning and Texas in 2025?
Beyond his comments on special teams, Erwin brought up another big talking point for the Longhorns: the ground attack. With young quarterback Arch Manning getting his shot, Erwin insisted that a reliable run game would help ease the pressure on the new starter. While he expressed confidence in Manning, he didn’t ignore the reality that changes on the offensive line could make things tougher up front.
“We’ve got to be able to establish the run game with the running back,” Erwin said. “Our offensive line, a few question marks there. We lost some guys. We lost some really, really good guys.”
For Texas to really compete in 2025, Erwin’s message is simple: Special teams and the run game must be strengths, or the Longhorns could fall short of their goals.
