Steve Sarkisian reveals how Texas will handle QB rotation during season-opener

Many are calling the Texas quarterback room the best in the nation, and on Saturday when the team opens up the season against Rice, fans may get to see all of Longhorns’ quarterbacks on display.

Saturday is supposed to be a hot one at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, and as a result, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian revealed that a lot of the Longhorns’ two-deep will play in the team’s opener.

“At a lot of the positions, we’re going to roll a pretty fair amount of our two-deep because we have to from a weather standpoint. It’s going to be in triple digits Saturday,” Sarkisian said according to On3’s Joe Cook.

Quinn Ewers will get the start for Texas on Saturday entering his second season as the team’s starter, but many want to know if there’s a possibility of seeing Arch Manning or Maalik Murphy this weekend as well. And specifically regarding the quarterback position, Sarkisian said the Longhorns’ backup quarterbacks will play only “if the opportunity presents itself” during the game.

He was also asked if either Manning or Murphy has separated themselves as the No. 2 quarterback, keeping his answer brief and forecasting that Saturday’s game could play an impact on their standing behind Ewers.

“We’ll find out,” Sarkisian said.

Watching Ewers in Texas’ opener will bring its own excitement, as the former No. 1 overall ranked high school quarterback will be looking to build on his freshman season last year where he threw for 2,177 yards and 15 touchdown passes, earning honorable mention Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

But watching Manning and Murphy battle in game for the Longhorns’ backup quarterback job could be an even more exciting watch.

Like Ewers, Manning was ranked the No. 1 quarterback in this year’s 2023 recruiting cycle according to On3’s Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. And as the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, there’s no doubt that the expectations are high for the true freshman who’s already impressed during the Longhorns’ fall camp.

But despite all the hype surrounding Manning, Murphy has created his own buzz for his generational size and potential at the position. Towering at 6-foot-5, 238 pounds, Murphy is oozing with potential at the quarterback position as he enters his second season with the Longhorns.

He’s been working on his game behind the scenes for some time now, not seeing any playing time yet in his young Texas career. But making a debut this weekend versus Rice would surely draw the attention of many in Austin, Texas.