Arch Manning explains not transferring from Texas: 'Sometime things are worth the wait'

After spending two seasons as Quinn Ewers’ backup at Texas, Arch Manning is officially the Longhorns’ QB1. On Thursday, the redshirt sophomore QB explained why he never transferred away from Texas to be a starter elsewhere.

“It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age,” Manning said. “But, I hope it pays off. Like I said, there’s nowhere else I want to be. I want to be at Texas. I got friends here. I love this place. I wanted to be the quarterback at the University of Texas. Sometimes it’s worth the wait.”

Manning has paid his dues. Despite being the No. 1 QB in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Manning only appeared in two games during his true freshman season. He was Texas’ QB3, behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy.

Unlike Manning, Murphy wasn’t willing to wait for his time in the limelight. Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Murphy transferred to Duke, where he had an outstanding season. Alas, Manning remained with the Longhorns, waiting for his chance to shine.

It came sooner than expected when Ewers suffered an abdominal injury in the first half of Texas’ Week 3 win over UTSA. Manning replaced Ewers and looked like anything but a backup, finishing the game iwht 223 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.

Manning started in Texas’ next two games while Ewers continued to recover. One of those games was Texas’ SEC opener against Mississippi State. In the win, Manning completed 26-of-his-31 pass attempts for 325 yards and two TDs. He also notched a rushing score in the win.

Although some fans wanted Arch Manning to continue to be the starter after Ewers returned, head coach Steve Sarkisian ultimately reasserted Ewers to his starting spot. Nonetheless, Manning wasn’t contained to the sidelines and would sub in for Ewers in special scenarios, especially when the Longhorns needed Manning’s legs.

Now, with two years of experience under his belt, Manning is prepared to lead to Longhorns to new heights. Steve Sarkisian couldn’t be more thankful for Manning’s loyalty over the past two seasons.

“I’m excited for him,” Sarkisian said on the Clean Pocket podcast. “He’s been patient. How many people have come after him from other schools to get him to transfer? He’s stayed the course and stayed true to his word, so we’re pumped about him.

“… This guy has got a charismatic, some ‘it’ about him,” Sarkisian added. “You can feel it. That’s not a knock against Quinn. Everybody leads differently. He’s got something about him that guys gravitate to. That’s always a great thing to have as a quarterback.”