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Urban Meyer may have ruled himself out of a quick return to college football, but the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach may not be staying in Duval County beyond 2021, according to reports.
Urban Meyer was linked with the vacant coaching post at Pac-12 powerhouse, the USC Trojans, and was quick to squash the rumors during a press conference last week, saying there was "no chance" he would consider taking up the role.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora has reported that Urban Meyer may not be out of the running if the University of Southern California waits until after the 2021 NFL season to bring in the former Florida and Ohio State head coach.
The report claims that "many of [Meyer's] fellow coaches believe he could be one and done in Jacksonville". Were that situation to play out, Urban Meyer would be leaving pro football after a single season of trying to revitalize the struggling AFC South franchise.
Why would Urban Meyer leave the Jaguars after one year?
If Trevor Lawrence's struggles continue
It has been a rough start to life in the NFL for the number one overall pick in the 2021 draft. A league-high five interceptions in two games and the second-lowest yards per attempt rate (5.4) is not what anyone expected from a first-year quarterback billed as a college phenomenon.
It's no secret that the opportunity to rebuild a franchise with Clemson prodigy Trevor Lawrence under center was a huge selling point to convince Urban Meyer to crossover to the NFL. If Lawrence's transition to the pros continues to be this problematic, then assembling a winning team around a struggling young QB becomes a totally different challenge to what Urban Meyer expected.
If the task of rebuilding the Jaguars is bigger than anticipated
The first two weeks of the NFL season have shown us that it will take more than simply parachuting in a quarterback to fix a Jaguars team that went 1-15 last season.
Many expected the Houston Texans to be the weakest franchise in the AFC South in 2021. Still, head coach David Culley's team steamrolled the Jags in the opener before the Denver Broncos claimed a comfortable road win in Jacksonville in Week 2. Urban Meyer's team looks likely to be in the mix for the number one overall pick once again in the 2022 NFL draft.
If the NFL is not for Urban Meyer
The highway from college football to the NFL is littered with quarterback sensations and coaching phenomenons that were never cut out for the pro game. Meanwhile, college football has many former NFL head coaches that have found success in the collegiate ranks.
The rigors of each competition are very different and the truth is nobody, not even Urban Meyer, knows what to expect until they experience it. A full training camp, preseason and a handful of competitive games may have bought him enough time to decide. Right now, nobody knows where Urban Meyer's future lies but himself. However, the noises are growing louder.
