Quinn Ewers breaks down growth of Arch Manning, Maalik Murphy

Outside of the program, a lot is being made of the Texas football program. The move to the SEC is going to be massive with Oklahoma joining them. Not just conference affiliation is getting attention, but the Longhorns’ future quarterbacks are drawing eyes.

Quinn Ewers is the starter for the 2023 season. Steve Sarkisian made that abundantly clear after the spring game, ending any kind of speculation surrounding the position. But moving into fall camp, questions are being asked about Arch Manning and Maalik Murphy.

According to Ewers, both guys are coming along nicely. Neither has a ton of experience, with Manning entering his first season of college football. Learning the offense is still in the stages they are in, with Murphy just a few steps ahead and maybe on the same level as Ewers.

“I think they’ve both grown a lot,” Ewers said. “Arch is kind of getting used to the offense and getting used to what it looks like. With Maalik, he’s also in Year Two like I am. He’s doing the same things I am doing. Learning the offense better. Able to check protections and stuff like that. It’s cool to see the growth, for sure.”

Manning played high school football at New Orleans (LA) Isidore Newman, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Everyone knows about Manning, with the last name carrying weight alone. Reality is though, he is still a true freshman. Heading into fall camp Sarkisian is expected to slate Manning as the third-string quarterback. Murphy has impressed enough to earn the backup role behind Ewers.

If everything goes to plan for Sarkisian, Ewers plays well during the 2023 season, wins a ton of games, and moves on to the NFL Draft. Of course, all attention is going to be put into performing well in a crucial third season in Austin.

Looking ahead to the future, Sarkisian would then have two quarterbacks ready to fight for a starting job in Manning and Murphy.

When the time comes, Texas will be back in the headline with a quarterback competition. Sarkisian just has to make sure both guys’ development continues to progress in the right direction. Especially entering the Longhorns’ first year in the SEC — one where a statement could be made.