Quinn Ewers: Arch Manning is in 'the best situation for him' at Texas
As Steve Sarkisian continued his hot start on the recruiting trail at Texas, he made a big splash by landing Arch Manning. The top recruit in the country committed to the Longhorns knowing Quinn Ewers would be the starter in 2023, and that will again be the case in 2024 after he chose to return to Austin for one more season.
That means Manning will again be in a backup role. But to Ewers, the nephew of Peyton and Eli is in a good situation entering his sophomore year – especially since he’s now QB2 behind Ewers.
Manning might not be the starter at Texas yet, but Ewers thinks another year as a backup will pay off for him in the big picture. It goes beyond football, though. Manning will continue to learn more about representing UT while also honing in his knowledge of Sarkisian’s system, and it’ll help him find success when he takes the reins of the offense.
“I think that he gains a lot,” Ewers told Robert Griffin III on RG3 and The Ones. “Not being from the state and coming in, and it’s obviously a little different. I think he’s got more time to grow his pride and love for the university. Obviously, he loves the university and loves the Longhorns. But kind of being able to sit back and watch, I think it’s different than playing. So him seeing what’s going on from inside, but also outside, I think that he can get a lot of intel from that.
“And then, obviously, another year to learn the offense and just get more comfortable within the smaller details. It’s, like, the best situation for him, I think.”
More on Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning
Ewers and Manning have a unique bond considering their background as recruits. As former Five Star Plus+ prospects, they were among the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five star during their respective cycles. They are also former No. 1-rated recruits from the 2021 and 2023 cycles, respectively, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Manning appeared in two games last season, making his college debut in a blowout victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock. He not only sat behind Ewers on the depth chart, but also Maalik Murphy, who took over as the starter when Ewers suffered an injury.
But now, Murphy is at Duke after entering the transfer portal ahead of the College Football Playoff. Even after Ewers announced his plans to return to Texas, Manning followed through on his promise to stay even though some argued he should’ve hit the portal, as well. That helped Texas fortify its quarterback room once again with the SEC move looming, and Ewers thinks there’s a case to call the Longhorns the best unit in the nation.
“I mean, you can call me biased, but I really think it’s us,” Ewers said. “The way that we all prepare – y’all saw how the spring game went. We’re all capable of making great plays. Sark and Coach [A.J. Milwee] have us dialed up. Actions speak for themselves.”