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One of the more revealing photos from the lead-up to the College Football Playoff matchups showcased Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers peering over his shoulder to the swarm of reporters engulfing Texas backup Arch Manning.
“I don’t see y’all giving all this attention to other backups,” Manning told reporters.
Manning is America’s most-publicized backup quarterback – even more than Tommy DeVito – and many are wondering when he will become the Longhorns’ starter.
With Texas’ 2023 season now over following a 37-31 loss to Washington in Monday’s Sugar Bowl, Manning’s role will be a major storyline as Ewers decides whether to return to Austin.
Ewers has been projected as a potential first-round pick, but ESPN reported in early December that the likelihood of him returning “has increased exponentially.”
The quarterback said he had not yet decided on his future before the game, according to kxan.com.
“I’m just trying to win a national championship,” Ewers said, according to the outlet.
Manning said he plans to return to Texas for his sophomore year regardless of whether Ewers returns, although that does not guarantee he will be back in Austin.
The deadline for Manning to declare he is transferring is Thursday, though he would not have to choose his next school by then.
“I haven’t looked into transferring at all,” Manning said. “I’m just focused on developing and helping this team any way I can, and hopefully one day playing for the University of Texas like I always wanted to.”
A report from 247Sports said Manning was “perfectly happy” at Texas in the aftermath of the report that Ewers could be returning.
“It’s never fun being a backup and sitting, but each person’s journey is different, and I’m going to work hard and not blink an eye and help Quinn be the best quarterback he can be and try to get better along the way,” Manning said, per ESPN. “It takes some time, but I think it’ll be worth it one day.”
Manning told reporters he appreciated his year serving as Texas’ third-string quarterback.
Maalik Murphy was Texas’ No. 2 throughout the season and started when Ewers suffered a shoulder injury, but he transferred to Duke.
“There were a lot of tough days, I’m not going to lie,” Manning said. “I was never a backup in high school. So there are some days when you graduate early, you’re alone in your dorm room, you’re like, just another day of fighting for the third-string job. … Some days it’s tough. There’s hard workouts, hard practices, they expect a lot out of you. I’m glad I went through that to help me grow.”
Manning said his uncle, Giants legend Eli Manning, provided advice on waiting his turn.
Arch threw just five passes and tallied 30 passing yards in his first season.
“You need a lot of patience, especially nowadays when there’s a bunch of old quarterbacks around college,” Manning said. “So, yeah, he’s stressed that to me.”
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