CFB insider reminds Steve Sarkisian of Oklahoma's downfall amid uncertainty around Quinn Ewers' future

With Quinn Ewers operating the offense, Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian have re-emerged as a college football power. A talented Arch Manning, though, is waiting in the wings, and Ewers could possibly remain a collegian after this season. If that's the case, the Longhorns will have a decision to make.

FOX Sports national college football analyst RJ Young warned Steve Sarkisian not to be too hasty, pointing to the situation Texas' arch-rival Oklahoma has found itself in for acting too quickly.

"If you are Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, you probably wanna play," Young said Wednesday on The Number One College Football Show.

"But, if you're Steve Sarkisian, you've got to look at what happened at Oklahoma and ask yourself that question, right? ... Dillon Gabriel had just led Oklahoma to 10 wins in the regular season, and he turns out to be a Heisman finalist the next year."

After transferring to Oregon, Gabriel passed for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns. His presence helped the Ducks to a Big 10 championship.

"Meanwhile, Oklahoma, who went to the five-star that had shown all the promise in Jackson Arnold, and it doesn't go well," Young said.

Brent Venables' Sooners had their second losing season in three years. That run comes after the program not having one such go-round from 1999 to 2021. Oklahoma has added Washington State transfer passer John Mateer, who was highly sought after, to try to turn things around.

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What will Steve Sarkisian do?

Texas is setting up to play a red-hot Ohio State crew in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. After the next few weeks, Steve Sarkisian could be put in a tough situation.

"Is Steve Sarkisian gonna be put into the position of having to tell Quinn Ewers, 'Hey, we're moving on to Arch Manning?' ... We've seen enough of Arch Manning to know that he ain't Jackson Arnold, right? He's a better football player. But, are you that sure?"

Ewers could make the decision himself by heading to the NFL, but Young doesn't think he should, even if that means Ewers has to hop in the transfer portal, like Georgia signal-caller Carson Beck did on Thursday.

"I think knowing what (Ohio State coach) Ryan Day saw in him, and knowing how good Ryan Day is at evaluating quarterbacks, I would like to see him play another year of college football somewhere," Young said.

"I don't know that it would be Texas, though. I do know that if that man put his name into the transfer portal for the spring, we are talking about a guy that becomes one of the most desired transfer products of this cycle, bar none."