Arch Manning stayed ready for his moment, and it came when starting quarterback Quinn Ewers went down with a rib injury against UTSA, a team that hadn’t prepared for Manning. The highlight of his five-touchdown performance was a 67-yard scramble for a touchdown. Manning, nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, earned SEC Freshman of the Week and national co-Freshman of the Week honors.
A Manning can finally run
Peyton & Eli are smilingpic.twitter.com/M9Jf9sSeGj
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 15, 2024
The Longhorns were named the number-one team in the country for the first time since 2008 as they gear up for a tough SEC schedule. With Ewers’ injury being evaluated on a week-to-week basis, the team is cautious about rushing him back before he’s fully recovered. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has been clear that the starting job is Ewers’ to lose.
However, the buzz surrounding Manning as a five-star recruit is hard to ignore. If he continues to play well, Sarkisian could face a tough decision. Louisiana-Monroe is seen as the perfect game for Manning to ease into his first start, and his head coach had high praise for him.
“Arch is just another guy on our team, and the reason I can say that is because that’s who Arch is every day,” Sarkisian said after Monday’s practice. “He’s a selfless teammate. He cares about the guys on the team and has a great relationship with Quinn. He works his tail off and wants to play good football for them because he knows how hard everyone is working.”
Texas was Manning’s dream school, and it speaks to his character that he didn’t take the money in the transfer portal. He waited for his turn where he wanted to be, and Saturday will prove that decision was worth it.
