Freshman quarterback Arch Manning is not like other backup, first-year quarterbacks. His last name demands respect, but his skillset is really what makes him standout among the rest. Amid a rollercoaster of a season, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reflected on how the young star performed during his first year in Austin.
Coming into the 2024 NCAA season, Manning was expected to redshirt behind standout Quinn Ewers. However, football, like life, is full of surprises. After Ewers went down with an abdominal strain, Arch’s number was called way earlier than planned. Regardless, Manning didn’t crack and he put on very strong outings during the starting quarterback’s absence.
You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and Manning made the most out of his. He didn’t rest on his laurels, though, and as Ewers returned to Texas’ huddle, he kept grinding and, ultimately, earned the trust to have his name called up in certain plays during the Longhorns most critical SEC game of the season during the Lone Star Showdown.
Sarkisian was aware of the talented QB room he had at The Forty Acres, but even he might’ve underestimated it. Ahead of Texas matchup with Georgia in the SEC Championship, Coach Sarkisian issued a powerful admission on Manning’s evolution.
Arch Manning 16 of the Texas Longhorns leading the team in before vs the Mississippi State Bulldogs at DKR-Memorial Stadium. Austin USA
“[Arch Manning] continues to prepare at a really high level,” Sarkisian said, per On3. “I think Arch was fortunate to get so much experience early in the season when Quinn got hurt. He really got two and a half games under his belt. Two starts. He started the first game we had in the SEC against Mississippi State. So, all those things I think gave him confidence but gave us confidence in him.”
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Two-headed monster
When teams switch quarterbacks mid-way through decisive games, it tends to highlight desperation and it’s not a good look in the offense. However, Texas’ plan to use backup Manning against Texas A&M reflected pretty much the opposite.
Sarkisian’s decision to dial up designed QB run plays and have Manning at the gun for them highlighted the epitome of the Longhorns’ system. They finally achieved what many believed to be a utopia: a two-headed monster of an offense.
Ahead of the SEC Championship clash with the Dawgs, another page out of Sarkisian’s playbook could be expected.
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“We might. There’s always things that we’re gonna do that are new,” Sarkisian admitted. “Inevitably as you work your way through as a season, sometimes you’ve got to keep a few things up your sleeve. That’s the way it goes.”
No quit in the Dawgs’ fight
Although the duo of Ewers-Manning is a sight to behold and beware in college football, the powerhouse in Georgia is not backing down from the grand challenge. When the two schools last met, the Bulldogs neutralized the Longhorns’ offense and they hope to do so again on December 7.
Ahead of the in-season rematch, the Dawgs star Dan Jackson issued a big challenge for Texas’ QBs.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) on the field during pregame warmups before the start of the college football game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns on November 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas.
“We’ll be ready for both of them,” Jackson stated. “They’re both really smart guys. Nobody’s the exact same. We’re definitely going to be watching a lot of film this week, like we have in the past.”
