Arch Manning's Electric Texas Spring Game Performance Has Fans Hyped for QB's Future
Ahead of his second season at the University of Texas, quarterback Arch Manning lit it up in Saturday's annual Orange-White spring game.
Manning, who played on the White team along with Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, was nearly perfect in a 35-34 loss for the White team, going 19-of-25 for 355 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The nephew of legendary NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning led five scoring drives Saturday, including a 75-yard dime to wide receiver DeAndre Moore on his first play from scrimmage:
Manning, who was 247Sports' No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, also showcased his ability to work the middle of the field, hitting running Jaydon Blue for a 29-yard strike and his second touchdown of the first half:
While Manning had 191 yards and two scores at halftime, he wasn't done, as he led another touchdown drive early in the third quarter, punctuated by a rushing score from running back CJ Baxter.
It seemed likely that head coach Steve Sarkisian would be satisfied with the performance and content with Manning watching the rest of the game from the sidelines, but he was given the opportunity to lead the White team to a potential come-from-behind win.
Manning delivered by linking up with wide receiver Isaiah Bond for his second 75-yard touchdown pass of the day with just over three minutes remaining:
It seemed likely that the touchdown pass to Bond would be the game-winner, but freshman quarterback Trey Owens put an exclamation point on a great day of his own, throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to wideout Ryan Wingo with 31 seconds remaining.
Much of the talk coming out of the spring game will be about Manning, but Owens was excellent in his own right with 228 yards and three touchdowns.
Manning's only blemish came on what amounted to a Hail Mary to end the game, as his deep pass bounced off his receiver's hands and was intercepted:
University of Texas and college football fans were blown away by Manning's performance Saturday, prompting plenty of posts on X about his bright future with the Longhorns:
Manning arrived in Austin, Texas, last year with a ton of hype surrounding him, but he struggled in the 2023 spring game and barely played during the 2023 season.
Texas was able to keep Manning on the bench for nearly the entirety of the campaign since Quinn Ewers delivered by completing 69.0 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns and six picks.
Ewers also led the Longhorns to a Big 12 title in their final year in the conference before joining the SEC, as well as a College Football Playoff berth.
While Ewers struggled in limited action Saturday, throwing a 33-yard pick-six to defensive tackle Alfred Collins on a batted pass, the fact that he played so little suggests that he is entrenched as the starter to open the 2024 season.
However, Sarkisian has an elite talent in Manning behind him, and after watching him go off in the spring game, it is possible he will have Ewers on a shorter leash than he would have last season.
Given that Ewers lost some elite offensive talent from last year's team, including wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, running back Jonathon Brooks and tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he could get off to a slow start.
If that happens, there will undoubtedly be calls from a vocal portion of the Texas fanbase to play Manning, and they were likely emboldened by his showing in the Orange-White game.
