Texas Longhorns Not Blinking with Arch Manning as Backup QB: ‘More Than Capable’
The Texas Longhorns officially became shorter on precious quarterback experience when Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal before committing to Duke. Even though he only had two-career starts, both coming in wins this season, that’s not something coaches should ever take for granted.
Texas will still boast one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Quinn Ewers when the Longhorns take on the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, but newly-appointed backup Arch Manning isn’t exactly the ideal QB2 when it comes to experience and ample collegiate reps.
Regardless, he’s receiving full marks from his coaches and teammates, with Steve Sarkisian even saying that Manning is “more than capable” and is hardly like a true freshman at this point after being an early enrollee last offseason.
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“I joked with him to the other day, it’s like, ‘You’re not really a freshman any more,” Sarkisian said. “This is your sophomore year now, okay, and so what would it look like going into your sophomore year in preparing you to play?’ That’s that’s what we’re doing.”
Manning has practiced against Texas’ defense time and again over the past year, and they’ve gotten a good feel for him at this point. Veteran safety Jerrin Thompson has seen all he needs to from the young QB prodigy when it comes to mental preparedness.
“Arch has always been head down first and work team first,” Thompson said. “He’s never cared about having a starting role or anything.”
This season, Manning only played in two contests and didn’t appear in his first-career college game until the regular-season finale against Texas Tech. He finished that 57-7 win going 2 of 5 passing for 30 yards while adding a 12-yard run. He then took the final snaps in Texas’ 49-21 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.
Even though he’s barely started growing experienced quarterback hairs on his chest, the most talked-about backup in the country has shown fans flashes of what he can do. But that wasn’t surprise for the coaches and players that have been around him for nearly a year now.
