Arch Manning Impresses In First Start For Texas Against Louisiana Monroe

Arch Manning made his first college start this weekend for the Texas Longhorns, filling in for injured starter Quinn Ewers. One week after throwing for 223 yards and four touchdowns in Ewers’ stead and leading Texas to the No. 1 in the AP Poll, Manning finally got a brief chance to take over against Louisiana Monroe.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said that Ewers is recovering well from an oblique strain he suffered against UTSA last weekend, but that the staff felt comfortable giving him more time to recover while Manning fills in.

“Quinn has made great strides ever since Saturday night into where he’s gotten to,” Sarkisian said. “But my decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us. … And getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term, I think, is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play.”

The hype surrounding Manning has been building since his high school days at Isidore Newman, but while he likely would have started as a freshman at most programs in the country, he has had to sit at Texas. Ewers, the projected first-overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft, has helped transform Texas into a national powerhouse, and it will be his team until the league comes calling.

Because fans have had to wait for Manning’s rise to the starting role, he has only continued to build hype as one of football’s most exciting prospects. In brief moments, mostly at the end of blowout victories, he has come in and performed well enough to garner praise. In the team’s win last Saturday, he finally received significant reps and didn’t miss a step, dominating UTSA just as Ewers would have done.

Arch did well in his debut, scoring two touchdowns on 258 yards passing.