One of the standout teams this season in the NCAAF is undoubtedly the Texas Longhorns. Under the guidance of head coach Steve Sarkisian, they bounced back from the early injury to their star quarterback, Quinn Ewers, and have remained undefeated thanks to stellar performances from backup Arch Manning. Sarkisian shared his thoughts on Manning during this week’s bye.
The head coach made an appearance on the Jim Rome Show this week and spoke about what it’s like to coach the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning: “First of all, Arch is a great kid, he was a joy to recruit. He came here to the University of Texas because this is where he wanted to be, it was a childhood dream of his,” Sarkisian said.
“But he came in with a ton of humility, you know, [he’s] an extremely humble young man, he’s a great teammate. If his name wasn’t Manning on the back of his jersey, you wouldn’t know it by the way he carries himself, the type of teammate that he is.”, Sarkisian stated.
Arch Manning stepped up to take charge of the team following the injury suffered by starting quarterback Quinn Ewers in the game against UTSA. Ewers had to be replaced due to an abdominal strain.
The Longhorns boast a record of 5-0, highlighted by a resounding 35-13 victory in their last outing against Mississippi State, marking their debut in the SEC. With a bye weekend ahead, their next matchup is against Oklahoma on October 12.
Manning’s relationship with Ewers
At the beginning of the season, there was much debate about who would be the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. While Coach Sarkisian always maintained that Ewers would be the starter, the injury opened the door for Manning to take over effectively.
“I think the rapport that he and Quinn have with one another has led to a lot of his success because I think he’s very coachable, he wants to learn, he can learn from others,” Sarkisian said.
“But his development I think has been the biggest key from where he was a year and a half ago when he first got here in spring practice to the way he played last weekend. That’s a credit to his work ethic, it’s a credit to the staff of working with him.”, the head coach concluded.
Having Manning on the roster is a privilege for the team
One of the most anticipated scenarios for the future is Quinn Ewers declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. With this possibility, many envision Manning stepping in as the next starting quarterback for the Longhorns, and the privilege that comes with that role is significant.
“[I’m] proud of him for what he is able to accomplish and we’re in a very fortunate situation to have a starter like Quinn, but to have the capable backup in Arch is huge for us from a long-term perspective,” Sarkisian said.
Additionally, the coach put an end to the debate between the two quarterbacks. “…And so, you know, that’s a credit to his work ethic. It’s a credit to the staff of working with him. And so, proud of him for he’s able to accomplish. And we’re in a very fortunate situation to have a starter like Quinn, but to have a capable backup in Arch is huge for us for the long-term perspective.” Sarkisian said.