One of the biggest storylines of Week 3 in college football was highly-touted Texas Longhorns backup quarterback Arch Manning taking the reins in place of an injured Quinn Ewers.
It’s a tall order to step up and fill the cleats of a quarterback who some consider to be one of the best –if not the best — prospect in the nation. Manning showed no issue with assuming the responsibility. He completed 9-of-12 passing attempts for 223 yards and four touchdowns in the 56-7 win over the UTSA Roadrunners. He also added one touchdown on the ground.
Here are three things we took away from Manning’s performance with potential future Heisman Trophy candidacy on the horizon.
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1. Arch Manning was impressive, but there is still room for some small improvement
There’s no question that Manning stole the show in relief of Ewers. What he was able to accomplish is a testament to what sitting behind an established starter. Holding the clipboard for a while can do for a quarterback’s development. Especially in an era where overutilizing the transfer portal and not making the wisest decisions in entering it is almost more common than not.
There are some small adjustments he needs to make that will only come with in-game reps, something that’s been out of his control to this point. These include getting the ball out more quickly, especially in the face of pressure, and not taking unnecessary sacks.
2. The past Mannings haven’t had wheels, but this one does
The Manning family tree is a historic one filled with success between Archie Manning, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning — all of which have achieved strong success at the highest level the sport of football has to offer. But they’ve also all fit the description of what a traditional pocket passer is, not particularly known for athleticism or mobility.
Manning clearly has the same level of mental processing all of those names have had to offer. But he’s also got the ability to make plays with his legs in a way they have not been able to. Arch Manning turned heads when he broke out for a 67-yard touchdown run, clocking a speed of 20. 7 mph. That’s faster than Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s top speed in 2024 (20.3 mph).
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3. Is Quinn Ewers’ job on the line?
It’s hard to see, with the way he does things, Steve Sarkisian handing the starting job to Arch Manning when Ewers returns to full capacity without letting his original starter get back in the saddle. The Longhorns have everything they could wish for in their starting quarterback-backup quarterback duo as one of the few teams in college football that arguably has equal chances of winning a game regardless of which one of them is taking the snaps.
Ewers was considered one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft before he went down for a reason. To think he’ll be taken out so quickly seems illogical.