Former five-star recruit Arch Manning – the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning – has spent the first two years of his college career as the backup to Quinn Ewers with the Texas Longhorns. But now it’s his time to shine.
Although starting quarterback Quinn Ewers has not officially announced his plans for the future, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reports that Ewers is widely expected to declare for the NFL Draft.
“Sources close to Ewers reiterated to ESPN that the ‘overwhelming likelihood’ is that Ewers will declare for the NFL draft,” Thamel reported for ESPN.
“Heading into 2023, that had been the plan for Ewers,” Thamel continued. “But injuries slowed him in that season, and he and his camp decided that not having 25 starts could hurt his long-term development. (NFL data shows that’s a line of demarcation for quarterback development.)”
When asked directly, Ewers was noncommittal, stating, “We’ll see.” However, he told Thamel he does not expect to return to college football next season.
Even if Ewers decides to play another year, he is not anticipated to return to Texas. Speculation has swirled about a potentially lucrative NIL deal that could lead him to transfer to another program, though Ewers has dismissed those rumors.
“Haven’t even paid attention to it,” Ewers said. “I’m not really sure what’s going on.”
With Ewers gone, Arch Manning is set to take on the starting role.
Manning, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 high school class, has spent his first two years at Texas developing behind Ewers. Despite being second on the depth chart, he’s still seen the field plenty of times in meaningful moments.
This season, Manning started two games in Ewers’ absence due to injury. Once Ewers returned, Manning was utilized in special packages that highlighted his athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs. This included the College Football Playoff showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday when he picked up a crucial first down.
Needless to say, he is ready to take over as the team’s starter, and fans are excited to see it.
“The torch has been passed, we’re in Arch Manning’s hands now,” one Texas fan wrote on X.
“It’s going to be exciting. Best of luck to Arch!” another fan added.
“Nothing more frightening for opposing defenses than a large, accurate and mobile quarterback,” someone else added.
“An entire off-season with 1st team reps is gonna be huge,” another person wrote.
“Let’s go Arch. Quinn built this program back up it’s time for you to finish it. Rooting for you kid,” someone else said.
Now, the spotlight shifts fully to Manning as he prepares to lead the Longhorns. How he performs in this new role remains to be seen.
