The long-anticipated moment has finally arrived: Arch Manning has officially made his Texas debut.
Manning, a five-star recruit and heir to his famed family’s football legacy, took the field for his first time as a Longhorn on Friday night in the third quarter of No. 7 Texas’s 57–7 win over visiting Texas Tech.
Manning failed to connect on his first two passes after taking over for starter Quinn Ewers with the Longhorns leading, 50–7. Ewers had connected on 17 of 26 pass attempts for 196 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. Manning did scramble for 17 yards on two carries during his first drive, but he also took a 10-yard loss on a sack.
Later in the game, Manning guided a 13-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:59 of game time. He completed two of three passes for 30 yards while also relying on a heavy dose of running backs Quintrevion Wisner and Savion Red.
Annie Rice / USA Today network
Entering the season third on the depth chart, Manning walked into Austin already facing loads of expectations surrounding his future following a standout high school career at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.
Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton and grandson of Archie, announced his commitment to Texas in June 2022 following an extensive recruitment cycle that led to offers from 18 schools, including Alabama, Georgia and LSU.
Texas improved to 11-1 overall and 8-1 in Big 12 play with Friday’s victory, while the Red Raiders dropped to 6-6 overall and 5-4 in conference.
The Longhorns play in the Big 12 championship game against either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State next Saturday at noon ET in Arlington, Texas.
