Monday mornings after a rivalry game loss are some of the toughest. Oklahoma coming back from behind and winning is heartbreaking fashion has stung for the past two days. But with Oklahoma State in town on Saturday, there is no time to reflect anymore.
Especially with the big recruiting weekend ahead. A ton of prospects will be in Austin but all eyes are going to be on Arch Manning.
As Steve Witflong of 247Sports reported back in September, the five-star quarterback will take an unofficial trip this weekend. He will be able to get in on Friday as Isidore Newman plays on Thursday night. An advantage for Steve Sarkisian with an early morning kickoff against Oklahoma State.
Manning has not been shy to talk about Austin, saying “it felt like home” during his visit over the summer. He also had high praise for Sarkisian as an offensive coach and person before the TCU game.
“Obviously they are great in offense, offensive-minded. They haven’t punted in two games. So, they’re really good, and they’re just laid back, good people. That’s the kind of guys I like.”
How important this recruitment is for Texas cannot be emphasized enough. Sarkisian is known as one of the quarterback guys in college football and when hired, was expected to recruit some of the best in the country to Austin.
Nobody will be bigger for the next decade than Manning. His name alone will attract other top-rated prospects from across the country. Once he is potentially on campus, Manning’s skillset will win games for Texas for three to four years.
Get a win over the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ole Miss, and Sarkisian will have the biggest recruiting victory of his life in just over a year as the Longhorns’ head coach.
On the 247Sports composite, Manning is the No. 1 prospect in the country. With that title comes the expectation of putting up gaudy numbers on a weekly basis in the high school ranks. So far, he has delivered.
Isidore Newman had a huge 70-0 win on Friday with Manning throwing for four touchdowns on 11-11 passing and rushing in another score. He has proven to be a complete quarterback five games into the season — one Texas has been missing for some time.
Now, Sarkisian has to put on the sales pitch of a lifetime. This weekend looms large for the future of the program.
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