The Texas Longhorns made a statement during the 2024 college football season despite losing the SEC Championship Game to the Georgia Bulldogs and the Cotton Bowl Semifinal to Ohio State. They closed the season strong with a 13-3 record and several key wins.
Following their loss in the College Football Playoff, former Texas QB Quinn Ewers announced his exit from the team in favor of entering the 2025 NFL Draft. The heir apparent, Arch Manning, recently spoke with ESPN’s Marty Smith and shared some opinions on Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Arch Manning Comments on Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian’s Influence on the Team’s Success
The Longhorns’ offense, spearheaded by starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, was one of their strong points during the 2024 season. With Ewers declaring for the draft, former backup quarterback Arch Manning will have a shot to replace him in the starting job.
Despite the excitement surrounding Manning, his lack of substantial experience as a starting QB has raised questions about Texas’ chances in the coming season.
Manning, however, remains confident in Sarkisian’s ability to lead the team to continued success. In an interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith, Arch Manning was asked about his thoughts on his team’s head coach. Manning responded by emphasizing the impact that Sarkisian’s intelligence and competitive nature have on the Longhorns.
“I think he fits his offense and his play calling to his players,” Manning said. “He’s smart, he’s innovative, and he wants to win. He’s a competitive guy. He works really hard, prepares, and he gets us in the right position to win games,” Manning stated.
So far in his young collegiate career, Manning has passed for nine touchdowns and 969 yards, along with four rushing touchdowns and 115 rushing yards over the last two seasons. He is a dual-threat player that Sarkisian has kept for specific plays. In the coming season, though, Manning will be able to display his full potential. We’ll get to see just how good he is as a starting quarterback.
Manning Reflects on College Football Career
Manning is the embodiment of football royalty. As the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, the college football world certainly had high expectations for him. He has yet to disappoint.
Manning was the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class and had access to the best programs in the country, but he had his eye on one program—the Texas Longhorns.
“I liked Coach Sark from the get-go,” Manning said, addressing ESPN’s Marty Smith. “I wanted to bring Texas back.”
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Though Manning is undeniably talented, he’s had his share of hard knocks in his college football career.
“I think my first start against ULM, I kind of forced some shots downfield and was a little bit greedy,” Arch Manning said. “But then the next week against Mississippi State [I] settled in. The hardest part was you get a little taste of what it’s like, and you love it. And then you go back to not playing. That was pretty tough,” Manning continued.
“Coach Sark just told me to be myself and be a leader and work hard, and it’ll all work out.”
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