How did fourth-year coach Steve Sarkisian rebuild the Texas football machine so fast?

To hear Gunnar Helm explain it, all the gears must fit together and work in smooth fashion.

Everyone wants to know the Longhorns’ secret machinations to success. Helm’s explanation of why Texas went from a 5-7 program in 2021, one that had “horrible culture, nobody wanted to be here,” to one that’s now 13-2 with an all-time high team GPA and playing the College Football Playoffs semifinals might be the best yet.

“Coach Sark says it all the time — your three gears of life, your personal life, your school life and your football life,” Helm said. “And if everything’s going great, then all the gears are twisting themselves.

WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE: Follow A to Z Sports’ Texas Longhorns channel on YouTube.

“But you know, if you get something jammed up, maybe you fail the test, maybe one of your grades drop. Then if that’s on the front of your mind, then you start to do poorly on the football field, then maybe your personal life isn’t going quite as well or the other way around.

“Maybe something gets jammed up in your personal life,” Helm continued. “You’re hanging out with the wrong group of people. You get in trouble. Then the on-field stuff, maybe you get benched. Then you’re thinking about that, then you fail test. Or, you know, another way around it.

“You’re on the field, you’re busting assignments, maybe you get benched. Then you start to not really care. Then you don’t go to school, then you start failing, then you become ineligible.”

Texas QB Quinn Ewers reveals Ohio State relationships, NIL money ultimately first lured him to Buckeyes

Quinn Ewers didn’t spend a lot of time at Ohio State. It was essentially four months on the calendar. So it’s not like he left a huge legacy with the Buckeyes during the 2021 season. Still, Ewers recounted his time in scarlet and gray on Monday with reporters and admitted “I felt like I belonged […]

There are snowball effects from all three gears getting jammed up, Helm said.

“That’s something that’s pressed upon us in the offseason, and yeah, it’s part of our culture to have success off the field as well, especially in the classroom, especially at a school like Texas,” Helm said. “So I think coach Sark has done a tremendous job with that.”

Helm pointed out that Texas’ culture turnaround can be tracked by the team’s grade point average.

In Helm’s first season in 2021, “I think we had a 2.7 team GPA,” he said. “And then just kind of built on that as I've gone on through the years.” That team produced zero draft picks.

“Next year, I think we had a 2.9. Eight-and-five (on the field), lose the bowl game.” The 2022 squad had five players drafted the following spring.

“Then the next year, (12-2) or whatever it was, get to the biggest stage, however many draft picks. Maybe 3.0 team GPA.” The Longhorns won the Big 12 title for the first time since 2009 and reached the College Football Playoffs. The Horns had 11 players drafted, the most ever for UT in a seven-round draft; all 11 picks were taken in the first six rounds.

“Now this year, obviously being where we are, I think we have a 3.2 team GPA. Culture is stronger than its over been,” Helm said. The team’s 3.27 GPA for the fall semester was an al-time high for UT football, according to a school official. “And coming down the way, who knows how many draft picks.

“So, obviously, coach Sark and the rest of the coaching staff has done a spectacular job setting the standard for this team. And just this team buying into that standard and setting the groundwork and building upon itself each year.”