At the tail end of his freshman year, Arch Manning becomes Texas' backup quarterback

A full-circle moment took place on Wednesday. One year ago after performing admirably in place of an injured Quinn Ewers for several games, Hudson Card entered the transfer portal. That allowed for freshman Maalik Murphy to step into the backup role ahead of the Longhorns’ Alamo Bowl matchup with Washington.

[Join Inside Texas today using our National Signing Day sale and choose from two great offers!]

On Wednesday after performing admirably in place of an injured Ewers for several games, Murphy entered the transfer portal. That allowed for freshman Arch Manning to step into the backup role ahead of the Longhorns’ Sugar Bowl matchup with Washington.

Murphy, who saw action in seven games and started two contests this season, entered the portal for reasons similar to Card: to get a head start on looking for the next destination knowing that a new recruitment and the preparation process for a bowl could not coexist.

And, like one year ago, a promising freshman becomes a play away from taking snaps for the Longhorns in postseason play. However, there are a few differences.

The first is Manning’s projection. Manning, son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, and grandson of Archie Manning, comes from the preeminent quarterback family in the sport. Arch, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking, selected Texas even after a 5-7 season because he believed in Steve Sarkisian‘s vision for the program. Murphy believed in Sarkisian’s vision, too, but he didn’t carry the same ranking or potential. In the 2022 class, Murphy was ranked as the No. 205 overall prospect.

Expectations for Manning are far greater than they were for Murphy.

The second is the lead up to the moment. Murphy missed a considerable amount of time during his first year as a Longhorn, not fully healthy for much of the 2022 season. He finally returned to health in time to be named the backup for the 27-20 loss to Washington in San Antonio, but went his entire freshman season without seeing the field.

Manning, the third quarterback on the depth chart for much of the season, has some game experience under his belt. He made his debut versus Texas Tech, completing 3-of-5 passes for 40 yards and rushing for seven yards. He made a late-game appearance in the Big 12 Championship versus Oklahoma State, taking the final knee and tossing the ball back to Jonathon Brooks as the clock hit 0:00 on Texas’ first Big 12 title since 2009.

It’s not a lot of experience, but it’s more than what Murphy had.

The third difference is the stakes at hand. The Alamo Bowl typically selects the highest ranked team from the Pac 12 and Big 12 that doesn’t make a New Years Six game. That was the case last season when No. 12 Washington battled No. 21 Texas in San Antonio. The Alamo is a good bowl in the current landscape, but the game’s proximity to Austin and Texas’ frequent participation in the Alamodome contest causes Longhorn fans to view the postseason game in a negative light.

The Sugar Bowl, one of two College Football Playoff semifinals this year, is a far cry from the Alamo Bowl. The Longhorns are making their first appearance in the CFP, and look to compete for a national title for the first time since 2009.

The best case scenario for the Longhorns and Manning if his services are needed is that he’s in for one snap while Ewers puts his helmet back on after it harmlessly fell off during the course of play. A blowout situation in either the Sugar Bowl or the national championship where Manning mostly hands the football off is highly unlikely.

Anything more extreme than that would be a difficult situation for Texas. Ewers’ play has been a big reason why the Longhorns are in their current position. A situation that deprives Sarkisian of his No. 1 quarterback would be a difficult challenge to surmount, especially when racing a Husky offense that’s scored plenty of points all season.

[Subscribe to the brand new Inside Texas YouTube channel!]

But it’s a possibility that exists for Manning now after Murphy’s portal exit. The true freshman is now the Longhorns’ No. 2 quarterback, and is one play away from having to take the field for some of the most meaningful snaps for Texas this century.