Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers found himself sitting alone at the podium Saturday during a scheduled press conference ahead of the Longhorns’ matchup against Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
A few feet to his left stood backup quarterback Arch Manning, the well-renowned nephew of NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning, who was surrounded by a packed media scrum on the playing field at the Superdome in New Orleans.
The moment was captured perfectly by Austin American-Statesman visual journalist Aaron E. Martinez and immediately went viral.
Arch Manning has a circle of media around him.
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) December 30, 2023
Oh yeah, and then there is QB1 Quinn Ewers. pic.twitter.com/ZHUD4nh56T
For full context, it was Manning’s first media availability at Texas since arriving on campus this fall. Ewers, who led the Longhorns to a 12–1 record, a Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl berth this season, already had spoken to the media a few days prior.
Manning will serve as Ewers’s backup in the Sugar Bowl on Monday. He was bumped up the depth chart after quarterback Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal and committed to Duke earlier this month.
No. 3 Texas faces No. 2 Washington (13–0) at 8:45 p.m. ET Monday. The winner advances to the CFP national championship in Houston on Jan. 8.
