Quinn Ewers evaluates spring games for Arch Manning, Trey Owens

The play of Texas‘ second and third-team quarterbacks was the story everyone was talking about after Saturday’s spring game.

Arch Manning and Trey Owens combined for over 500 yards through the air in a dazzling display of high-powered offense in front of the Longhorn faithful in Austin. Texas starter Quinn Ewers was pumped up to see his quarterback room flourish in front of a live crowd.

“They did a great job of showcasing how much they’ve both grown throughout this whole entire spring,” Ewers said postgame. “It’s fun to watch.”

Manning notably threw a 75-yard touchdown strike on his first pass of the afternoon. He ultimately finished 19-of-26 with 355 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Owens held his own throwing against the blue-chipper, completing 14-of-21 of his passing attempts for 228 along with three touchdowns of his own.

Ewers saw the field in limited capacity thanks to his QB1 status. His coaches, fans and teammates all know his capabilities after last season’s run to the College Football Playoff.

“I knew this entire week I was gonna have one to two drives,” Ewers said of his limited action. “As a competitor, I definitely wanted to go out there and put a good drive together but didn’t happen.”

Thanks to his smaller role in the spring game, Ewers was able to sit back and evaluate some of his wide receivers during the afternoon. Three Longhorn wideouts — Isaiah Bond, Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr. — finished with at least 80 yards receiving while scoring at least one touchdown on the afternoon.

“I think Isaiah Bond is just one of those guys that can flat-out run past any DB,” Ewers said of the rest of the receiving corps. “You saw that out there today. And then the same thing with a guy like (Ryan) Wingo. Wingo’s got a bigger frame.”

All three wideouts are newer names in the Longhorn lineup. After Texas lost its top two receivers in Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell to the 2024 NFL Draft, Bond — who spent the last two seasons at Alabama — alongside Moore and Wingo, both of whom were highly-touted four-star recruits out of the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes, respectively.

Rich in talent, Texas is set to head to the SEC this fall alongside longtime Big 12 rival Oklahoma. The next time fans will get to see this Longhorn squad is on Aug. 31 at home against Colorado State. However, they will not play their first conference matchup until Sept. 28 at home against Mississippi State.