The Texas Longhorns are still in the middle of a run to the Natty. The epilogue to Quinn Ewers’ biography in Austin is still being drafted, but a new dawn is imminent. Peep over the horizon and you will see his deputy, Arch Manning, standing there, waiting to rise. It looks like everything is planned for Texas—Hand over the quarterbacking reigns from Ewers to Manning for a seamless transition. But what if the figurehead of this entire operation jumps ships?

Here’s the thing: The New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars fired their head coaches just hours after the regular season was done. Then, the Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus mid-season. It is clear the NFL has plenty of opportunities, and rumors suggest that Longhorns’ Steve Sarkisian is being considered to fill in one of the empty seats.

According to Adam Schefter, Sarkisian is on the radar of NFL teams with head coaching vacancies. The discrepancy between the college level and the pros has diminished exponentially, but it’s still a step up. And Steve Sarkisian could be tempted. One CFB savant discerned that the HC would indeed switch up if the opportunity arose. And this could happen regardless of the fact that a great prospect in Arch Manning is waiting in the wings.

On the Crain & Company YouTube channel, Blain Crain presented his co-host with a straightforward scenario: “Steve Sarkisian will leave Texas for the NFL.”

“I’m going for this,” replied David Cone. “I’m not saying it’s going to be this week. He is obviously going to be in the college football playoff and it may not even be this cycle, right? But this idea that Steve Sarkisian is going to turn down the NFL season after season just because he has Arch Manning waiting in the wings? I still don’t know what Arch Manning is going to be,” he proclaimed.

“Is he the greatest quarterback who’s ever lived? Maybe. Did he get a lot of hype just because of his last name? Maybe. But in the era of the transfer portal and NIL and guys leaving, a head coach isn’t going to turn down what his hopes and dreams are just because he has a player on the roster,” opined David Cone.

This is a very fair rationale with the uncertainty in CFB at an all-time high. Cone also drew a parallel to Jim Harbaugh, who was one of the latest coaches to make the leap over from Michigan. He signed an $80 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers which will last five years.

“I saw this with Jim Harbaugh. I mean, Jim Harbaugh was in the NFL, he was in college, he tried tried out both and he lands his dream job, head coach at Michigan. Where he played, where he was an All-American. Even he, after winning a National Championship, returned to the NFL.”

Top Comment by Hawaiilover

Arch needs to transfer immediately and find another college that have zero QB or they needs the best QB. Staying...more

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Cone laid out franchises that have quarterbacks akin to Arch Manning, or at least ones that were perceived as good on the college level. “If the Patriots come calling with a young Drake Maye. [Or] if the Jaguars come calling with a young Trevor Lawrence. At some point, Steve Sarkisian is going to listen and say, ‘You know what, I think I could win in the NFL.’”

Trevor Lawrence has had a tumultuous time translating his high school and CFB success in the pros. Cone’s line of thought that Arch Manning may be smoke and mirrors is not an indictment on the player, just based on realism. The discourse around Sarkisian potentially leaving also had Texas’ athletic director, Chris Del Conte, chiming in.

Texas AD’s comments are interlinked to Arch Manning and his development in college

The Longhorns are due to play their biggest game in recent history in mere days. Steve Sarkisian has his plate full with the Cotton Bowl. Naturally, reporting about his future didn’t go down well with Chis Del Conte. “We’ve got a game to play,” he said when confronted about Sark and the NFL. “I’m not going to comment. Somebody’s just creating fodder before our biggest game. That’s stupid.”

If Sark does indeed leave, the domino effect could be brutal. Arch Manning may well follow suit. As alluded to by David Cone, massive moves can transpire out of thick air in the portal era. Manning has explicitly stated he is not seeking to enter the portal. But uncertainty around the head coach, at this juncture of his development, could push him and his camp to rethink. But what are Steve Sarkisian’s thoughts on the NFL?

When asked about the rumors before the Peach Bowl, the HC stated: “I have interest in winning on January 1st. That’s what I have interest in. That’s a hypothetical. I’m not doing that with you. I don’t know.”

But coming to Arch Manning, he has got the pedigree to live up to the family lineage. He has been a great presence in the QB room with Ewers, by all accords. The Manning clan was diligent in their process of picking Sarkisian to nurture him. They’ll hope the trust is reciprocated and Sark does indeed stay put. However, that knocking on the door from the NFL will be quite tempting. What do you think?