Sark quarterback decisions at Texas - a timeline

[Quinncent McManning, Jr.]

Ok I've been considering this for a while... not saying that Sark is making bad decisions with recruiting, but some of the fits (Sark being a pro style QB developer) and development have been questionable 6 years in.  Some of the issues have come from timing / luck as well, but an interesting thought process

2021 Sark inherits Card and Thompson, taps Card #1, who quickly loses the battle when the season starts.  Thompson is meh, but that's not on Sark.  He recruits one Malik Murphy over Cade Klubnik.  You can see the big arm with Murphy, but Klubnik is the better HS QB and proves to be the better college QB.  He goes into the transfer portal and grabs Quinn, who 100/100 people here would have done as well.  Quinn's development is slow, never completely becomes a great reader of defenses, self sacks a lot, and can't throw an accurate deep ball at Texas.  He is drafted way lower than he was expected to even at the beginning of the year.  Oh yeah, and Malik transfers when Arch comes and proves that he was never going to develop into a great QB with poor play at Duke/Oregon St.

2022 Sark recruits Arch.  Okay, another 100/100 no brainer decision.  He is on the slow development track, but still has trouble seeing the field.  Certainly debatable if Sark is trying to keep him in the pocket and limiting his legs, limiting his true potential.  Then again, he's gotten hit a ton, partly due to poor OL (2025) and poor blitz recognition / availability of outlet options (2026).  He's unfortunately headed down the Quinn path, though we all hope he can eventually figure it out.

2023 Sark recruits Owens as a stop gap.  You can see the reason to space out 5 star QB prospects and developmental pieces in the portal.   He's now 121/176 1461, 68.8, 9/6 TD/INT this year at Ark St.    Oh, and a top 3 QB that was at the top of the board before we landed Arch was one Julian Sayin.  If no Arch, do we have Sayin?  

2024 Sark recruits KJ Lacey.  Targets him early, locks him down.  One Keelon Russell is the in state guy who throws several times for Sark and never gets the #1 QB treatment, and you know the story since then.  Now Lacey could still be the guy that Sark thinks he is (we know he told Saban to recruit Bryce Young, though Young was a #1 recruit as I recall), but in retrospect this early take of Lacey and lack of push for Russell may be one we regret.  That said of course Russell could have never ultimately chose Texas anyways due to Arch being here and the NIL dollars, but still something to consider.  How Sark gets Caldwell out of the portal this year, who is a perfect portal backup QB, that ends up basically winning a game for you in 2025.  

2025 Sark recruits Dia Bell.  Too early to tell, but he's developing well after missing a lot of senior year with injury in HS.  We take Morris in the portal, who's JAG on the bench

2026 Sark recruits Knutson as a stop gap.  Will he be more than another guy on the bench?  Too early to tell obviously.  Oh and we also now have an early commitment from Lawrence.  Gerry has seen him so I trust his eval, though way to early to get excited about a 2028 QB.

 

What would you differently in this timeline?  I still really like Arch and think he can get out of his funk, but would we have been better off if he had committed to Georgia and we took Sayin the next year?  

[Tres Comas]

I’ve had all the same thoughts. The consistent underwhelming performance of the QB position and offense during his entire tenure is frustrating to say the least.