As Arch Manning prepares to make his first official collegiate start in the No. 1 Texas Longhorns' matchup against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday night, questions are already swirling about his future with the program.
Manning is stepping in for starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is still recovering from an abdominal strain he suffered in the Longhorns' 56–7 win over UTSA last week.
If Manning puts on a show at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, will the Longhorns stick with the hot hand or go back to Ewers once he's ready to return?
"I actually reached out to the Manning operation to get their take on the entire situation," Pat McAfee said Saturday on ESPN's College GameDay. "The reality is, against this Louisiana-Monroe team, if Arch Manning throws for five touchdowns and runs 20 miles per hour-plus again today—the fastest Manning in history—there's going to be calls for him to get on the field."
"The Manning family said, though, 'No, no, no.' They are old school. You never lose a job because of an injury. Arch Manning wants to be in the program for four years. He wants to develop. There is no rush to get in the NFL. He loves Quinn Ewers."
"They know that's going to be a talking point, but they've already tried to kind of settle that before it even gets started."
Quinn Ewers has been ELITE
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2024
The Manning family is old school and you never lose a job because of an injury..
Arch Manning wants to be in the progrum for four years and he wants to develop #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/FtNX9kGJtd
There you have it. Once Ewers is healthy again, the Manning family would like him to retain the starting quarterback position—no matter how Arch fares in his first career start.
Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, has certainly lived up to his last name so far this season. In two games played, Manning has thrown for 318 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions on 14-of-18 passing. He also ran for an explosive 67-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Texas's win over UTSA last week, reaching a top speed of 20.7 miles per hour.
The top-ranked Longhorns' matchup against Louisiana-Monroe is scheduled to kick off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. It is Texas's final nonconference matchup before beginning SEC play next week against Mississippi State.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arch Manning's Family Gave Pat McAfee Insight About QB's Future at Texas.
