Hey folks, you don’t mess with the No.3 program, do you? Well, No.3 Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian proved that yet again. Looks like that Florida Gators HC Billy Napier is willing to get to any extent to cool off his hot seat and save his job. But maybe he forgot that he chose to go on a tackle with Sarkisian. That too in the recruitment race against someone whose forte lies in reeling in the best of the best young talents. Yes, we are talking about the 5-star Longhorns commit Jamie Ffrench and how Florida tried to lure him away. Now it’s time for them to get the test of the same act as Sarkisian dives into the trend. Well, is it the HC’s way to shift the fans’ focus from the Arch Manning drama?   

In the 2024 season, Sarkisian has maintained a hot streak when it comes to recruiting. The Longhorns HC has landed some big talents like five-star receiver Kaliq Lockett, and five-star safety Jonah Williams among others. Well, looks like Sarkisian is not going to hit the ‘settle’ button anytime soon. He now eyes the class of 2025 four-star defensive lineman playing for Grayson (Ga.). Joseph Mbatchou. On the On3 Recruits podcast, host Josh Newberg traced the talented young chap’s journey, stating “This has been a wild recruitment. He was an under-the-radar prospect out of Georgia committed to Florida early, decommits sometime in September and has been all over the place.”

Yes, Mbatchou explored multiple options like the USC Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs, and Auburn Tigers. But right at the moment, looks like the Longhorns were able to woo him when he visited them. As Newberg stated, “If you had some clay that’s the kid you want to mold, coming out of Florida.” But why did the Florida recommit stole Sarkisian’s attention?

First things first, On3 ranks Mbatchou as the No. 22 defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 36 player from Georgia. However, looks like the stats have no role to play here. Rather it’s a game of revenge. After all, Napier and Co. tried to flip the 5-star receiver out of Mandarin HS, Jamie Ffrench. Even though he was committed to Texas, the athlete paid a visit to Gainesville on November 16. Surprisingly, one visit was enough for Ffrench to cut off Sarkisian’s program as he confessed that the Gators “definitely” has a chance to flip his commitment. Now that the Texas HC immediately plans for an eye-for-an-eye, it might peel another layer of the story.   

QB woes still pestering Steve Sarkisian 

Right from the beginning of the 2024 kickoff, Sarkisian seemed to be in deep soup with his QB problems. Even while commenting on the Matthew Sluka situation, he once confessed how he had too many things on his plate. Looks like he has yet to go a long way before he shrugs off this problem. An important game is lined up for them against Kentucky Wildcats on November 24. Before the game, during the press conference, Sarkisian had to face a dicey question. 

When asked about whether their upcoming game at the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium is going to be Quinn Ewers’ last home college football game, the HC brilliantly side-stepped the conversation. He shocked the fans, sounding all confused. “No idea.” Indeed, Texas’ 20-10 victory against the unranked Arkansas Razorbacks was indeed impressive, but fans could not stop themselves from being brutal at Sarkisian.

After all, his favorite QB Quinn Ewers struggled all throughout the game while the backup Arch Manning was sitting on the bench. So the fans went like “Why is Arch Manning not playing?” Now, you know how running after Billy Napier and trying to land Joseph Mbatchou, Steve Sarkisian, is trying to shift the focus.