Steve Sarkisian shares what is standing out to him about Arch Manning

The chances of seeing true freshman quarterback Arch Manning under center for Texas this season increased after Longhorns’ starter Quinn Ewers suffered a shoulder injury against Houston that would sideline him for multiple weeks.

But redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy has manned the starting quarterback duties in the last two games in Ewers’ absence, with Manning now assuming the role as the team’s backup quarterback.

Maning still not playing a single down for the Longhorns during his freshman season has disappointed some fans, but as the team’s backup, head coach Steve Sarkisian has been able to take a closer look at the former No. 1 prospect in the country.

At a press conference on Monday, Sarkisian revealed what has been standing out about Manning these last few weeks.

“For me with Arch, I’m learning more and more and more about his skillset,” Sarkisian said. “One thing that I’ve been really impressed with him is his conviction and ability to throw the ball down the field with a great deal of accuracy. Which sometimes is hard to tell in high school, especially when they’re not the style of offense that we are, they have some aspects of it.”

Manning enrolled in Texas earlier this year after being rated a five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation for the 2023 class according to On3’s Industry Ranking. He impressed throughout the offseason between spring practice, summer workouts, and fall camp, but recently has been grabbing the attention of his head coach for his ability to execute deep passes.

“But what I’ve learned over the couple weeks, especially last week, is he can make a lot of throws down the field and do it in a way that guys are very comfortable making those plays down the field. So that’s a real positive,” Sarkisian said.

Manning’s deep ball accuracy isn’t the only thing that’s impressed Sarkisian, as his athleticism with his 6-foot-3.5, 220-pound frame has also caught the eye of his play caller.

“And then I think the second part of his game that I’m really encouraged about is he is very athletic,” Sarkisian said. “Arch is extremely athletic, he’s a strong, powerful guy. He’s got good speed about him. So his game gives a little different versatility and twist to his style of play.”

The Longhorns’ quarterback room is loaded with talent, and fans getting a look at Manning this season in-game is still a big unknown. But him impressing Sarkisian with his growth and abilities is surely a promising sign in the short-term and long-term future for the Texas program.