Quinn Ewers’ decision to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft has paved the way for Arch Manning to become the new starting QB for the Texas Longhorns. Ahead of him lies tough competition in the NCAAF, and someone who sent a clear message about what’s to come was none other than his father, Cooper.
His debut as the starter for Steve Sarkisian’s team will undoubtedly not be easy, as he will carry the weight of the responsibility to lead his team. However, his talent fuels countless hopes within the program of going far this year.
In a recent conversation with Dan Patrick, his father Cooper Manning warned the newly minted Longhorns starting QB about all the ups and downs he will have to endure during the season, knowing that not everything in his College Football journey will be smooth sailing.
“You don’t want your kiddos to come home and be unhappy, but at the same time, sometimes going through some bumps in the road are good,” Cooper Manning firmly stated.
“Arch is going to have plenty more of those. These are the real ones, when you get beat this year and have bad games. I mean you know how they do it in the media, they crown you way too early and then they jump on and kill you. So he’s getting way too much attention and way too much credit and he’s going to struggle. They’re going to say he’s not as good, he’s overrated, it’s coming, everybody know it.”
The reasons why Manning chose the Longhorns
Arch Manning’s talent caught the attention of several programs, but in the end, he made the decision to choose the Texas Longhorns as the place where he could best develop his skills in College Football.
Regarding this situation, it was the quarterback himself who cleared up the doubts about why he ultimately chose this program, which will see him as the starter starting Week 1 of this season.
“There are a few reasons. I liked Coach Sark [Steve Sarkisian] a lot from the jump. Austin was a good spot for me. There’s so much to do here,” Manning told ESPN’s Marty Smith. “And then, most importantly, I think I wanted to go somewhere where, you know, maybe they haven’t been as good the past few years, and were kind of on the rise. Kind of wanted to bring Texas back.”
“I think mostly because I liked being here,” the QB added. “Austin’s great. I have a bunch of friends. I like my teammates. I like my friends outside of football. So, there wasn’t really any reason to leave, because I wanted to be here. You know, it wasn’t always easy being the backup, but I think it’s paid off. I won’t take it for granted, now that I get to play a little bit more.”