I don't want to spoil your fun, but here is how the next 8 months are going to play out.
Maalik will end the season as the backup QB, but we will start hearing some buzz about Arch in the practices leading up to bowl week provided we miss the CFP. Once the season ends, Sark will say something to the effect of "This is Quinn's team heading into next season, but there is an open competition behind him to see who will be next man up." Maalik will most likely bypass the end of season portal window so that he can go into spring practice and compete for the job, although if he gets enticed into the portal in the early window it would not be the most surprising thing in the world. Commence more "Arch has closed the gap" buzz in the Spring followed by "Arch may be pulling ahead". At this point, if Sark hasn't done so already, he will sit Maalik down and tell him that because he loves and respects him and wants the best for him, he thinks his path to the field will be faster with another team. Maalik then enters transfer portal and is one of the biggest names in there, gets a nice NIL deal, and has 3 years to start for another P5 team. Fin.