Steve Sarkisian Reacts Quickly After Deion Sanders Raids Texas Roster

 89 • By Vipul Dhawas

Deion Sanders recruited Liona Lefau from Texas roster, and to fill the void Steve Sarkisian added Pitt’s LB Rasheem Biles.

This season turned out to be fairly average for Texas, and as a result, Steve Sarkisian ended up losing several athletes

Mississippi State OL Transfer Jimothy Lewis Jr. Commits to Cal

On top of that, Deion Sanders also managed to pull linebacker Liona Lefau away from the Longhorns’ roster.

While Lefau’s departure was not a major loss for Sarkisian, the move he made in response can be considered a significant gain.

Steve Sarkisian has strengthened the roster by adding Pitt star Rasheem Biles, and even ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has the same thought.

Adam said, “Rasheem Biles has committed to Texas, his agency the business of athletes tells ESPN.”

“Big addition for Steve Sarkisian and new DC Will Muschamp.” Adam Rittenburg added

Rasheem Biles’ addition to the Texas roster clearly shows that Steve has gained more than what he lost from Deion Sanders’ raid.

Did Steve Sarkisian Land a Better LB Than the One He Lost to Deion Sanders

Steve Sarkisian Reacts Quickly After Deion Sanders Raids Texas RosterDALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 09: Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns reacts on the sideline during the 2021 AT&T Red River Showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl on October 09, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
When Deion Sanders pulled a linebacker from the billion-dollar Texas program, everyone praised Coach Prime’s recruitment move.

To fill the LB void, Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t waste much time and added Rasheem Biles.

Now the key question is, who has the better linebacker, Deion Sanders or Steve Sarkisian? To understand this, let’s take a look at their stats.

Liona Lefau recorded 26 solo tackles and 1 sack this season. On the other hand, Rasheem Biles posted 39 solo tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions.

Looking purely at the numbers, it appears that Sarkisian landed the better linebacker.

However, that does not mean Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders’ LB addition is weak in any way.

Before making any judgment, it is important to consider the teams Lefau and Rasheem Biles played for.

LB Liona Lefau came from the Texas Longhorns, where he played big games against strong opponents.

Rasheem Biles, on the other hand, played for the Pitt Panthers, mostly against relatively weaker teams. Because of this, the comparison is not entirely fair.

The real answer will only become clear once the 2026 season begins, when we see whose linebacker addition proves to be better, Steve Sarkisian’s or Deion Sanders’.