As Arch Manning prepared for his highly anticipated first collegiate start in Texas Longhorns’ matchup against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday night, speculation about his future with the program is already making headlines.
Manning is stepping in for starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is sidelined with an abdominal strain sustained during Texas’ dominant 56–7 victory over UTSA last week. While Ewers recovers, the spotlight shifts to the young Manning, and many are wondering if a breakout performance could complicate the quarterback situation for the Longhorns going forward.
Should Manning light up the scoreboard at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, would Texas stick with the freshman phenom, or return to Ewers once he’s fully recovered? The intrigue surrounding this situation prompted Pat McAfee to dig deeper, reaching out to the Manning family for insight on the matter.
Speaking on ESPN’s College GameDay, McAfee shared what he learned: “I actually reached out to the Manning operation to get their take on the entire situation. The reality is, against this Louisiana-Monroe team, if Arch Manning throws for five touchdowns and hits 20 miles per hour running again today—the fastest Manning in history—there’s going to be chatter about him staying on the field.”
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However, McAfee was quick to clarify the Manning family’s stance on the quarterback conundrum. “The Manning family said, ‘No, no, no.’ They’re old school. You never lose a job because of injury. Arch wants to be in the program for four years. He wants to develop and grow. There’s no rush for him to get to the NFL. He loves Quinn Ewers.”
McAfee emphasized that the Mannings have already tried to quell any brewing controversy before it even starts. “They know this is going to be a talking point, but they’ve already tried to settle that.”
In other words, once Ewers is back to full health, the Manning family fully supports him resuming his role as Texas’ starting quarterback, no matter how well Arch performs in his debut.
Arch Manning, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, has already shown flashes of brilliance in limited action this season. Through two games, he’s thrown for 318 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions, completing 14-of-18 passes. His athleticism was also on display in Texas’ win over UTSA, where he sprinted for an explosive 67-yard touchdown, reaching a top speed of 20.7 miles per hour—earning him the title of the “fastest Manning” in family history.
Following this game, the Longhorns will begin SEC play with a critical matchup against Mississippi State.
