NCAAF NEWS; Why Arch Manning American football quarterback for Texas Longhorns will miss the game against Georgia Bulldogs…
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian issued a powerful statement on backup quarterback Arch Manning’s first season.
Freshman quarterback Arch Manning is not like other backup, first-year quarterbacks. His last name demands respect, but his skillset is really what makes him standout among the rest. Amid a rollercoaster of a season, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reflected on how the young star performed during his first year in Austin.
Coming into the 2024 NCAA season, Manning was expected to redshirt behind standout Quinn Ewers. However, football, like life, is full of surprises. After Ewers went down with an abdominal strain, Arch’s number was called way earlier than planned. Regardless, Manning didn’t crack and he put on very strong outings during the starting quarterback’s absence.
You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and Manning made the most out of his. He didn’t rest on his laurels, though, and as Ewers returned to Texas’ huddle, he kept grinding and, ultimately, earned the trust to have his name called up in certain plays during the Longhorns most critical SEC game of the season during the Lone Star Showdown.
Sarkisian was aware of the talented QB room he had at The Forty Acres, but even he might’ve underestimated it. Ahead of Texas matchup with Georgia in the SEC Championship, Coach Sarkisian issued a powerful admission on Manning’s evolution.
“[Arch Manning] continues to prepare at a really high level,” Sarkisian said, per On3. “I think Arch was fortunate to get so much experience early in the season when Quinn got hurt. He really got two and a half games under his belt. Two starts. He started the first game we had in the SEC against Mississippi State. So, all those things I think gave him confidence but gave us confidence in him.”
Two-headed monster
When teams switch quarterbacks mid-way through decisive games, it tends to highlight desperation and it’s not a good look in the offense. However, Texas’ plan to use backup Manning against Texas A&M reflected pretty much the opposite.
Sarkisian’s decision to dial up designed QB run plays and have Manning at the gun for them highlighted the epitome of the Longhorns’ system. They finally achieved what many believed to be a utopia: a two-headed monster of an offense.
Ahead of the SEC Championship clash with the Dawgs, another page out of Sarkisian’s playbook could be expected.
“We might. There’s always things that we’re gonna do that are new,” Sarkisian admitted. “Inevitably as you work your way through as a season, sometimes you’ve got to keep a few things up your sleeve. That’s the way it goes.”