While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction:

The NFL draft really made last week Sark Week

1. Draft central: So a whopping 11 Longhorns were taken in the just-completed NFL draft. Take a bow, Steve Sarkisian. Finally, someone is recruiting talent, has an eye for evaluating talent, understands the impact of the transfer portal and develops that talent. Underscore, capitalize and boldface "develops." That’s what’s been lacking in this program for quite some time. That number was the highest for a Texas class since 1984, and next year they may break that record again because I potentially see a record 15 players chosen from quarterback Quinn Ewers to kicker Bert Auburn. A couple of surprise picks will be running back Jaydon Blue and tight end Juan Davis. Longhorns who will be taken in the first round are left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., Ewers and possibly even defensive end Ethan Burke. Wideout Isaiah Bond could be a fourth because he has been mentioned as a potential 2025 first-rounder, considering the league-wide need for speedy difference makers at that position. I still contend this 2024 crop was the greatest collection of wide receivers in history. Check back on that in five years. … It’s not a coincidence that four of the top five programs with the most draft picks all were College Football Playoff teams. Michigan (13), Texas (11), Washington (10) and Alabama (10) produced 44 draft choices. What’s even more astounding is the Longhorns have 16 starters returning from their CFP depth chart. The other team in that mix was CFP-snubbed Florida State with 10 picks as well. Got to have talent to win it all. But coaching matters.

Analyst: Quinn Ewers made the right NFL call

2. No school daze: Ewers was so smart to come back and is now a co-favorite to be the first player taken in next year’s NFL draft, according to sports book SportsBetting.ag. He and Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who will meet on the field at DKR on Oct. 19, both have the shortest odds at 4/1, followed by Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. … Ewers clearly needed another year of seasoning to get more reps and prove he can stay healthy over a whole year. NFL analyst Charles Davis of CBS agreed and told Cedric Golden and me during our “On Second Thought” podcast (airing Thursday) that Ewers “made the right move to come back to school.” … Davis was very blunt in his assessment of the junior quarterback and said, had he come out for the NFL, “he would have been battling (the Saints’ fifth-round choice) Spencer Rattler. Yeah, those first six picks, he wasn’t approaching that.” … Ewers could also show his mettle and moxie if he can stay healthy and consistent and hold off favorite son Arch Manning. “If Quinn can navigate that, he’s going to get more positive marks from the league. The pressure’s right there.”

Odds and ends from the NFL draft

3. Sense — and nonsense: The team with the best draft was the Chicago Bears with the electric tandem of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. The worst draft was Atlanta's. … The steal of the draft was Texas wideout Adonai Mitchell, who slipped into the second round before he was scooped up by Indianapolis. … So glad that Patrick Mahomes finally, uh, has someone to throw to. Xavier Worthy has to feel like he’s died and gone to NFL heaven. With Worthy, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Travis Kelce as weapons, defenses may have to play eight defensive backs.

The over-reach of the draft was, of course, the Falcons’ idiotic decision to take an old rookie quarterback of age 24 when they just signed Kirk Cousins with a $100 million-guaranteed contract. Hey, Atlanta, trade Cousins or Penix Jr. to the Raiders for Davante Adams and a first-round pick or Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby and a first-round draft pick. And a third. Or swap one of them to the Rams for Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua and a first-round draft pick. And a third. And an Aaron Donald autograph.

How NOT to plan for NFL draft success

4. Jerry on Line 2: I do not get the Dallas Cowboys. I just don’t. They didn’t take a running back even though Rico Dowdle is No. 1 on the depth chart. The Cowboys passed over one outstanding running back after another and only compounded the problem after not grabbing a Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift or Joe Mixon in the offseason. They did pick up Zeke Elliott on Monday as he comes off the worst season of his career. Maybe they'll try to talk Emmitt Smith out of retirement.

More: Dallas Cowboys pick Manor's Tyler Guyton but really covet Texas' Jonathon Brooks | Bohls

Does the NFL even really need a preseason?

5. Do I hear 19?: I’m already on board with Roger Goodell’s desire to push the NFL regular season to 18 games and reduce the preseason to two. Do I hear one preseason game? Yes, such a move would take agreement in a collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA since the current one runs through March 2030. Just agree to add 10 players to the 53-man rosters, NFL owners. Plus throw in a second bye week even if you have to start the season on Labor Day weekend. Goodell added that he’d love to see the Super Bowl played on Presidents Day, which falls on the third day of February, in part because the Monday would be a national holiday. I’m down with the extra 16 games overall. But I’m sure by 2040 fans will look forward to the annual Super Bowl played on, uh, Easter Sunday. … ESPN analyst Matt Miller said Mr. NFL Draft Mel Kiper Jr. should be in the Hall of Fame. I’d agree with that because he’s done as much to promote the Shield as any non-player, non-coach in the game. His name is synonymous with the draft. We’ll even forgive him for saying if Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen wasn’t successful in seven years, he himself would retire. Clausen was gone from the NFL in five years.

Texas baseball keeps homering, surviving

6. Homering Horns: Texas is hitting the long ball almost as it did when Ivan Melendez made UFCU Disch-Falk Field his personal sandlot, and shortstop Jalin Flores is the king of the club with 15 home runs. The Longhorns sophomore deserves to be an All-American considering his reliable glove and powerful bat. If so, he’d be the first Texas shortstop to do so since Seth Johnston in 2005 and only the second since the slick-fielding Spike Owen in 1982. DIbaseball had him as a midseason All-American, and he’s only gotten better since then. West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt, whom the site lists as the No. 4 MLB draft prospect overall, is terrific, but a hamstring injury has limited him to just 18 games this year. … The bad news is Flores is eligible for this year’s draft as are first baseman Jared Thomas and catcher Rylan Galvan. David Pierce would hate to lose those three. … Texas baseball deserves tons of credit for taking two out of three from the Sooners on the road. Pierce and his staff have developed a potent offense and given the Longhorns a legit chance at winning their final Big 12 championship. I think Max Belyeu can be an impactful major leaguer as can Thomas and Flores. Very impressed with the Longhorns’ power outage. They’re up to 90 on the year and on pace to club a second-best 110 in the regular season. … Texas is climbing incrementally in the RPI standings to No. 58 but is still projected as a 3 seed in the College Station regional. Winning the Big 12 would be a huge feather in Pierce’s cap and help the Longhorns avoid squaring off with the Aggies.

The ups and downs, highs and lows of SEC football

7. Say what?: Did Nick Saban admit on national television that he was guilty of tampering? Sure sounded like it when the former Alabama football coach said he had tried to get highly touted Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to get into the transfer portal so the Crimson Tide could grab him. For someone who has always presented an image of an above-board coach who abides by the rules, that was a heck of a damning admission. I’m sure Jimbo Fisher’s ears perked up. Also, when Saban comes out of retirement in a year and takes the Florida job, would the Gators have to fight a show-cause issue with the NCAA to hire him? … Did you see who won the portal prize this offseason? Lane Kiffin’s crop was rated No. 1 by The Athletic with 18 commits, including seven four-star players, while Mike Elko was No. 2 with 27 Texas A&M additions, eight of them four-stars and Alabama was No. 4 with 12, including six four-stars. The SEC just gets tougher and tougher.

Whatever happened to ...

8. Scattershooting: While wondering whatever happened to “Uncle Nate” Finch, Johnny Manziel’s pal and, uh, NIL manager.

Meanwhile, from the greatest seat in the world ...

9. On the couch: Finished the third season of “The Morning Show” on Apple+, a quite compelling drama about a fictional television network full of stars and sex and storylines. Love Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass and the way the show weaves in real-life events. Gave it eight ducks and anxiously waiting seasons 4 and maybe even 5.

Now THAT will be a true legacy pick

Crazy prediction: Arch Manning will be the first player taken in the 2027 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football could exceed this year's NFL draftees in 2025