Steve Sarkisian never shies away from calling a spade a spade. Three years ago, he made his feelings pretty clear on players constantly moving in and out of the transfer portal: “Once you enter, there’s no coming back.” Sarkisian is not a big fan of such players. But in the wake of DB Derrek Williams’ U-turn from the portal, the Longhorns head coach’s reversal has caused quite a stir.

“The moment you go in the transfer portal at the University of Texas, you’re no longer coming back,” says Steve Sarkisian during an appearance on The Pivot podcast. He continues, “Which I think a lot of schools do. Kids go and test the waters and try to come back. We’re not, I’m not playing that game. If you want to go on the portal, go on the portal. Good luck to you. Now, we have real candid conversations before that, but in the end, at some point, there has to be something that we can hold on to say.”

The interview dates back to April 2023, when three of the players were heading towards greener pastures. At that time, Texas was undergoing a transition to the SEC, and Sarkisian shared his unfiltered opinion regarding the constant churn in the portal. Now, almost three years down the line, defensive back Derreck Williams’ return to the Forty Acres contradicts Sarkisian’s stance.

On December 11, 2025, Williams announced his intent to enter the portal. For three years, he hung around the locker room, bolstering the lineup. But it came to an end when he decided to move to greener pastures. Possibly, the reason could be limited playing time. As a backup, he appeared in 12 games, registering 23 tackles. On paper, his stats look decent enough. Even as a backup, he has clearly made appearances for the majority of the season. However, if you look closer, you’ll see the cracks appear.

A star player, Williams ranked sixth as a safety in the Class of 2023. After arriving in Austin, he led an impressive freshman season, appearing in 13 games and totalling 42 tackles. Williams also recorded two tackles for loss and two pass breakups that season. He was determined to make it big once again. He opened his sophomore season with an interception against Michigan and a forced fumble against Oklahoma, but a knee injury took him to the sidelines for the rest of the season.

Recovered and healed, he returned for the 2025 season, but by that time, new players had emerged. With Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime leading as the starters, Williams was thrust behind the depth chart. Naturally, when the transfer window was inching closer, the redshirt sophomore headed past Austin. However, weeks later, he had wound up at Austin once again.

On Wednesday, Hayes Fawcett reported that Derek Williams has withdrawn his name from the portal and is returning to Texas. However, according to the NCAA rules, if a player enters the portal and plans to withdraw their name, it’s not the program’s responsibility to guarantee them a roster spot. Once, Steve Sarkisian was adamant about sticking by his rule. However, perhaps a more competitive landscape has softened his views. Williams’ return, meanwhile, could be attributed to changes in the coaching staff.

Derek Williams’ return to Texas tied to Steve Sarkisian’s coaching changes?

The Texas Longhorns concluded their season with a stunning 41-27 win at the Citrus Bowl. But that ecstasy is not enough to brush aside the 10-3 bitter season, which cost them a playoff berth, under the rug. Now, Steve Sarkisian is implementing several changes.

One that starts with the coaching overhaul. Days after Williams announced his intent to enter the portal, Sarkisian fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and defensive passing game coordinator Duane Akina. Soon enough, those vacated seats were occupied by Will Muschamp and Blake Gideon, respectively.

Both Muschamp and Gideon had previously served the Longhorns, making it a sweet homecoming for them. As far as Gideon goes, he has a special connection with Derreck. The former Texas Tech coach had recruited him out of high school. But while Sarkisian chose to change his stance and give Derrek Williams a chance, it’ll be interesting to see if things pan out the way he hopes. Maybe not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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