In the latest episode of “Fansville,” Deputy Sheriff Quinn Ewers is urged to call in reinforcements but resists, and after a brief exchange with a fellow officer, Texas' third-year starting quarterback delivers the punchline.
“Even if he has great hair and famous relatives, we don't need back-up,” Ewers said.
The Arch Manning reference was a funny moment and a well-written bit in Ewers' national Dr Pepper commercial, but it also hinted at a unique Texas dynamic: Ewers, a former No. 1 player in the nation, is one of the most familiar names in the sport and a Heisman Trophy candidate who led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last year.
But Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, grandson of Archie Manning and son of Cooper, still looms large, at least figuratively, because of those famous relatives and Archie's high recruiting status (he was also the No. 1 recruit in his class). Archie has only played two games and attempted just five passes in his Longhorns career, yet he's been given a wink and a nod in the starting quarterback ad, underscoring the intrigue surrounding him.
But 19 months into his collegiate career, Arch has only seen 27 game snaps, which adds to the intrigue (fans love a backup quarterback, right?). How much of the redshirt freshman will we see in 2024?
Going deeper
Texas is a CFP favorite, and Steve Sarkisian's next big challenge will be to keep it that way.
Manning is patient.
One of the first questions the general public will ask about Manning is if he has considered moving since he is yet to start. As of now, Manning has not given any indication that he plans to move.
It's no wonder, as quarterback transfers have become so commonplace: According to Yahoo Sports, 43 of the 68 best conference teams are expected to start a transfer student this season, a rate of 63 percent.
But when asked if he had considered transferring after practicing as the No. 3 player on the roster for most of the season before December's Sugar Bowl, Manning said “no.”
“I haven't really thought about transferring,” he said at the time. “I'm just focused on developing this team and contributing in any way I can, and hopefully one day I can play at the University of Texas, which is something I've always wanted to do.”
This summer at the Manning Passing Academy, he acknowledged how hard it is to stay patient but reiterated his desire to stay in Austin.
“It's tough because I want to play with my boys,” Manning said in July, “but at the end of the day, I realized there's no other place I want to go. It was my dream to play in Texas. I'm going to hang in there and one day I'm going to play there.”
Going deeper
Arch Manning and other QBs explain their decisions to move or stay
Manning and his family put a lot of time and attention into his recruiting. Archie knew what he was getting into because Ewers was already at Texas. The opportunity to develop under Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, who has a long track record of coaching quality quarterbacks, was important to Manning.
Sarkisian's students include former USC quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez, former Washington quarterback Jake Locker and former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones.
“Tradition is a big factor in recruiting players,” Sarkisian said at SEC Media Day. “We've been fortunate to coach some pretty good quarterbacks. We've been doing that for decades. We're fortunate to have a really good group of quarterbacks, and I think the Manning family knows that very well.”
“I think they've trained Arch to put him in the best position possible to play in the best conference in America and ultimately to play in the National Football League and further his career.”
Because of that plan, Sarkisian believes Manning's decision to wait wasn't that difficult.
“Arch's growth has been important to our family and I think he's benefited from that,” Sarkisian said. “It wasn't difficult at all. I think it was very easy for him.”
Arch Manning completed 19 of 25 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns in Texas' spring game. (Sarah Diggins/USA Today)
Ewers establishes himself as a starter
There's no doubt who the Texans' QB1 will be heading into 2024, and there shouldn't be. Ewers, who avoided the NFL Draft and returned for one more season, took a big step forward in 2023. He improved significantly in most major statistical categories, including completion percentage (58.1% to 69%), passing yards (2,177 to 3,479), touchdowns (15 to 22), yards per attempt (7.4 to 8.8) and passer rating (132.6 to 158.6). He also became more consistent.
He's started to emerge as a leader this year, and Sarkisian said in July that while his physical growth and progress has been impressive, he wants to see more from Ewers on a personal and emotional level.
“That's given everybody in our building a lot of confidence,” Sarkisian said. “He's coming into the building like he's the starting quarterback for a top-five football team at the University of Texas, and I think that permeates our entire locker room.”
“So would you like to see more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, a higher completion percentage? Absolutely. But I think those are just a by-product of his preparation, the confidence he exudes and the way he approaches his work.”
Historically, the Longhorns will need an arch at some point.
Sarkisian had to rely on backup quarterbacks for three seasons, benching Hudson Card in the first two weeks of the 2021 season for Casey Thompson before injuries forced him to use both late in the season.
Ewers missed three games with injury in 2022 and two more last year, and with this season potentially being long due to the 12-team playoffs, it makes sense the Longhorns would have to turn to Manning at some point.
“I have confidence that when Arch plays, he's going to perform at a high level,” Sarkisian said Thursday.
Expectations are high for Manning's development
Last season was a learning one for Manning, and sitting on the bench as the QB3 since his high school days was a challenge, especially in his first few months on campus.
“There's been a lot of tough days, I'm not gonna lie,” Manning said in December. “I was never a reserve player in high school. When I graduated early and I'm alone in my dorm room, there are days when I'm like, 'Today is another day of fighting for a third-string spot.'”
Things were clearly evolving quickly for Manning in his first spring game, and he showed glimpses of his athleticism and arm talent in his collegiate debut against Texas Tech, but there was still freshman jitters when he dropped the shotgun snap.
He's shown great improvement this spring, and Manning had a spectacular game against the Orange and White, looking calm, confident and in control as he threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and was accurate, even though four of his seven incomplete passes hit his receivers' hands.
Manning is the obvious No. 2 quarterback with Texas' 2023 backup, Maalik Murphy, transferring to Duke, and Sarkisian said Manning has taken a big step in his development as the Longhorns embark on the 2024 season.
“I would say he's much more advanced than he was at this time last year,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “He understands what we're trying to do offensively, the tactical nuances, the timing of certain throws, defense, everything. And I think his overall comfort and confidence is much higher than he was at this time a year ago.”
Sarkisian said Monday that he wants to use more players early in the season to build up depth for a season that's expected to last through mid-January. “If you have two depths, you're playing in the first half,” Sarkisian said.
Does that mean Manning will play in the first half of Saturday's game against Colorado State?
“That will become clear,” Sarkisian said.
(Photo by Tim Werner/Getty Images)
