Despite competing on a daily basis for the starting quarterback job, Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers shared lots of respect for each other. However, as Manning takes over as the Texas Longhorns‘ QB1, he admitted who he looked up to the most from his teammates.
The 2025 NCAA season is right around the corner and the Longhorns can’t wait for it to arrive. Texas will start the year off with a bang as it visits the reigning national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.
It will be Manning’s first game as the true starting quarterback, and not because Ewers is injured. To say he has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. The heir of football’s quarterback royal family knows the eyes of the nation are upon him, and he better perform to expectations. However, he isn’t putting much thought into it.
Lead by example
Instead, the 21-year-old signal-caller has recently spoken about his personal growth and his desire to be a leader in Texas. On that note, his comments raised eyebrows, as he didn’t include Ewers among the main players he tried to emulate at The Forty Acres.
Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns warms up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“When I first got here, I feel like the guys that had the most respect were the guys that worked hard and took it really seriously. I followed their lead, whether it was J-Whitt, Jonathon Brooks, Kelvin Banks, guys like that,” Manning said, per Inside Texas on X. “Look where they’re at now. It kind of goes full circle.”
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Ewers taught him well
While Manning didn’t name Ewers among the players he took up the most from in terms of leading, the experienced quarterback’s impact on Arch is undeniable. Even Manning made it clear how he looks forward to following Ewers’ steps in Austin, and outside of it, too.
“I think for the teams in previous years, I think Quinn did a really good job on the road. He had a ridiculous record on the road,” Manning said, per InsideTexas. “So to learn from him and the teams last year to carry over this.”
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Will Manning leave Texas with a better legacy than Ewers?
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Ewers has built an 11-1 record on the road with the Longhorns (not taking into account games at neutral locations). Manning will hope to follow in those footsteps as he gears up for his first-ever NCAA road game as the starting quarterback. However, if it serves as any consolation, Ewers had lost his first road game at Oklahoma State before going on an 11-game win streak away from home in college football.
