Steve Sarkisian breaks down how Texas handles the hype around Arch Manning

Steve Sarkisian hasn’t named a starting quarterback for No. 1 Texas’ game against Louisiana-Monroe this weekend. That said, with Quinn Ewers dealing with an oblique strain and currently listed as questionable, redshirt freshman Arch Manning could be in line for his first career start.

Arch Manning is the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and the son of Cooper Manning. He was the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 class.

And he’s the most-discussed backup in college football.

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Sarkisian was asked about that phenomenon, and about how he handles the hype his redshirt freshman signal caller receives.

“I don’t do anything,” the fourth-year Longhorns head coach said this week. “Arch is just another guy on our team. And the reason I’m able to do that is because that’s who Arch is every day. He’s a selfless teammate. He cares about the guys on the team. He cares about Quinn. They’ve got a great relationship. He works his tail off. He wants to play good football for them because he knows how hard everybody’s working.

“So I literally don’t address it with him. I don’t address it with the team. He’s just part of the team, you know. And I think that’s been the approach.”

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Ewers came into last week with the highest odds to win the Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel. But with the third-year starter’s injury, and Manning’s head-turning performance in Ewers’ place, the Manning buzz is buzzing.

Manning earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors after totaling five touchdowns in a 56-7 win over UTSA. He completed 9-of-12 attempts for 223 yards and four scores through the air, in addition to dusting off his wheels with a 67-yard touchdown run.

Manning is the first Longhorns player to ever record a 65-yard-plus run and pass in the same game.

Despite the reactionary headlines that have emerged this week, including those comparing Ewers and Manning, Sarkisian is confident in Manning’s mindset and ability to block out the noise.

Sarkisian emphasized that he didn’t bring Manning to Austin because of the Isidore Newman School product’s family tree.

“If you even go back to the recruiting process, it was never about the name,” Sarkisian said. “It was about the player and the ability and the parents and so on and so forth. And so that’s made it actually pretty easy, that we don’t have to address [the hype].”

Sarkisian continued: “And I think from Quinn’s perspective, he just wants to keep playing. Nobody wants to have to come out of the game because you get injured. But I think if you ask Quinn today, he’s fired up for Arch, because he knows how hard Arch has been working.

“I go back to this all the time. You all were there for that first spring game. [Arch] didn’t play very good. And so the growth that he’s shown and the ability to work at his craft, there’s a real level of appreciation from Quinn to Arch, but also Arch to Quinn, because I know Arch has been there supporting Quinn through his journey as well. So that’s a sign of a great room and a sign of a good team.”