Arch Manning to make his first career start versus Louisiana-Monroe
Texas quarterback Arch Manning will make his first career start on Saturday for the No. 1 Longhorns against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday during his weekly Zoom with local media.
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“Arch is going to start at quarterback Saturday,” Sarkisian said. “I feel like Quinn (Ewers) has made great strides ever since Saturday night and where he’s gotten to, but my decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us and the longevity. Getting him one more week healthier for the long term I think is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play. Arch is more than capable, as I think we all know.”
Manning will start in the place of Quinn Ewers, who left the Longhorns’ 56-7 win over the UTSA Roadrunners in the second quarter with what Sarkisian described as an abdominal strain. Before exiting, Ewers was 14-for-16 for 185 yards and two touchdowns over one interception.
In Ewers’ place, Manning was magnificent. He was 9-for-12 passing for 223 yards and four touchdowns, including a 19-yard scoring toss to DeAndre Moore Jr. on his very first snap of the game. Manning tallied five total touchdowns against the Roadrunners, adding a 67-yard rushing touchdown on a zone-read keeper midway through the second quarter.
Manning earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week accolades for his performance. It was the first time Manning had ever entered a game where the result was not totally determined. His previous appearances versus Colorado State in 2024 and against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in 2023 were when the Longhorns had the game easily in hand.
So far this season Manning is 14-for-18 for 318 yards and five touchdowns along with two rushing touchdowns.
Sarkisian was mum when providing an update on Ewers’ status. On Monday, he had mentioned Ewers would be listed as questionable if he had to place his name on an injury report. That is only required for Southeastern Conference games. With Louisiana-Monroe as the last non-conference game before the Longhorns enter SEC play, there was no such requirement this week for Sarkisian.
A member of the Longhorns’ 2023 class, Manning was ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranked him as the No. 3 overall prospect and the No. 2 quarterback.
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Texas battles ULM on Saturday at 7 p.m. Central at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
