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Cam Newton Knocks Steve Sarkisian and Texas Program

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Brendan Howe | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 8:17 PM ET

Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas has made consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. He'll tell you success is a product of the culture he's built since taking over for the Longhorns.

Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, believes there's another driving force behind Texas' cultivation.

"It's expensive, that's what I would say," Newton said last Thursday on his podcast, "4th&1 With Cam Newton." "(Expletive) all that other (expletive). ... Nowadays, these players are a great expense."

Steve Sarkisian has previously lauded his program's ability to help student-athletes find themselves while boosting the program.

"Probably the (most)-vulnerable group that you could pick out, 18-22-year-old men, young men that are trying to figure out who they are," Sarkisian said during an interview last month. "And they're in this transition of moving away from home, finding out who they are in a world of social media where it's like put everything out there to make myself look as good as I can look —"

Newton cut Sarkisian's comments short after appearing disinterested while listening to them.

"Coach Sarkisian, I'm cool. Like, all that (expletive) cool," Newton said. "Yeah, yeah. Building a culture does take time, but having access to the boosters attached to (the) University of Texas also helps."

Sarkisian and the Longhorns have the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247 Sports, ahead of the likes of Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State.

"And they also probably have the No. 1 spend in the nation," Newton said. "Like, come on. ... And I'm not trying to discredit what building a culture, like, the importance of that."

Newton also touched upon the importance of Name, Image, and Likeness in today's college football landscape. Texas has five five-star pledges in its class.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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