Arch Manning continues strong camp, provides electric moment in first Texas scrimmage

Texas freshman quarterback Arch Manning continues to impress during preseason camp.

According to Gerry Hamilton of Inside Texas, Manning showed off his legs during Saturday’s scrimmage. Yes, Manning is known more for his arm, but he is also a threat to make big plays with his legs.

“Texas’ first scrimmage of the fall here today and Arch Manning, he got loose,” Hamilton said during a scrimmage recap video. “He scored on a 50-plus yard touchdown run. I mean we’ve heard different numbers on how far that touchdown run was, but yea, he scored from 50-plus yards out. And he continues a strong fall camp.”

While Manning’s best play on Saturday was with his legs, he has also made plenty of impressive throws this spring.

According to Hamilton, one of the best attributes Manning possesses is his ability to find different receivers.

“The one thing with Arch is Steve Sarkisian is talking about spreading the football around, right? And we keep hearing that Arch is really ahead of the game in that regard,” Hamilton said. “And look, he’s a Manning, we expect him to be. But yea, Arch Manning had a really big moment for a young kid in the scrimmage today.”

Bobby Burton of Inside Texas added that it’s not as if Manning is pushing Quinn Ewers for the starting job, but he is certainly turning some heads this preseason.

“The reality of it is that Arch is ahead of schedule, and at the same time he’s still a freshman,” Burton said. “So let’s not talk about him overtaking Quinn Ewers or anything like that. There might be a battle for the No. 2 job. I’m not disputing that. But the No. 1 job is Quinn Ewers.”

Steve Sarkisian explains his approach to handling preseason rankings

There is plenty of hype around Manning and the entire Texas football team entering the 2023 season. The Longhorns are ranked No. 12 in the preseason coaches poll and are expected to be in the top 25 of most, if not all polls.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian recently spoke about preseason rankings and handling expectations.

“I love preseason polls as a fan of college football, because it gives us as fans of the game something to talk about, something to read about, something to write about. That’s the beauty of it, man,” Sarkisian said. “I remember as a kid, I couldn’t wait for the Sports Illustrated article with their preseason No. 1 on the cover and the top 25 and reading about every team. The preseason polls are synonymous with college football, and I love that side of it.”

As he’s gone through his coaching career, though, Sarkisian understands how important preseason polls really are — or, actually, aren’t.

“I also know being in the fire right now, it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “What we do, ultimately, is what matters.”