Arch Manning shares what he learned in his appearances during 2024

Arch Manning naturally saw more action as a redshirt freshman than he did as a true one the year prior. That’s also with an injury pushing into being the starter for Texas in two games and as its quarterback for the better part of three or so last fall.

In speaking to the media on Thursday, Manning answered that those appearances last season do make for a better transition for him now as Texas’ QB1. It obviously gave him a better idea of what the games would be like, both in how teams played as well as with the environment in front of a crowd like the one they have in Austin.

“Yes sir, definitely,” Manning said. “Any time you can get game reps, that’s just such a help and, um, I’m really glad I got to play in those games. Just, you know, the speed of the game. It’s also a good, um, way for me to play in front of people, in front of 100,000. That was definitely the biggest thing for me.”

Manning appeared in 10 games, with a pair of starts, in 2024. He played the last quarter and a half of the opener and at points during conference play, most notably at the end of the first half of the Longhorns’ regular-season game against Georgia. Most of that action from mid-October on, though, was as a rushing threat to pose against those defenses.

However, Manning saw almost three full games worth of play with the oblique injury for Quinn Ewers against UTSA. Ewers exited early in the second quarter with his backup taking over for him for the remainder of that one before starting the next two against UL Monroe and Mississippi State to finish out in September. Over that three-game sample size, Manning was 50-72 (69.4%) for 806 yards, good for 268.7 per game, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing for a pair of scores, including a 67-yard score with his legs against the Roadrunners.

Manning will make many more appearances this upcoming season as a sophomore now being the full-time starter for Texas. His successes in those games, though, will in part go back to getting to play in the ones he did last year in preparing him.