Well it's possible. But it may also be that they had sort of the same eyes. Think about it. The Sage was a "monk", or a prophecy or whatever. Sent to defeat the Juubi and create peace on earth.
Him, having eyes that resembles the beast he was sent to defeat, is probably not random. That wasn't what I meant to say.
Naruto seem to have the sages will. Kurama recognizing "the old man" in Naruto. Thus suggesting the eyes have nothing to do with it?
Anyway now lets say it is the rinnengan. And it comes from the Juubi. How do you explain that it is different from Madaras rinnengan. And how do you explain the creation of the sharingan? And why is the sharingan so unique, holds many different powers. And has abilities like seeing the flow of chakra, as well as giving many genjutsu as well as ninjutsu abilities. And why is that the MS is the evolution, but it does not give any genjutsu? And what does Susano have to do with all this?
Kotoamatsukami for instance isn't described in the databooks. But it obviously have physical and "real" effects. So it's probably like Tsukuyomi. A combined ninjutsu and genjutsu. And Tsukuyomi is labelled as ninjutsu in the 3rd databook.
So the sharingan must have something to do with yin and yang, and it is probably the closest we will ever get to the so called "creation of all things". Which the sage probably didn't have till after he defeated the Juubi, since it would require immense understanding of yin and yang, and the Juubi seems to represent yin and yang. So it may seem more likely that the sharingan has something to do with the Juubi? So the possibility that I am wrong is probably even greater xd
I just like to go with the least obvious possibilities and question theories. In order to prove theory, one must question every part of it, in order to find the truth.
If he did have or didnt have rinnegan at that time nobody knows and it doesn't matter
