AUSTIN, Texas — Quinn Ewers is still the starting quarterback for No. 3 Texas as it prepares to face No. 2 Washington in a College Football Playoff game on Jan. 1.
However, there will be a lot of eyes on the backup with the famous pedigree.
Redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy, who earned the No. 2 role in spring practice and started two games this season when Ewers was injured, recently entered the NCAA transfer portal. His departure elevated freshman Arch Manning, grandson of Archie, nephew to Peyton and Eli, to the backup role.
Manning, the famous five-star recruit, performed mop-up duty at the end of blowout victories against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in the Longhorns' two most recent games. He completed 2 of 5 passes for 30 yards against Tech and made a 12-yard run. Manning received a loud, enthusiastic ovation from the Texas home crowd when he walked onto the field against Tech for his college debut.
Texas (12-1) coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning will be ready if needed.
“He’s more than capable of playing really good football for us,” Sarkisian said. “I think the opportunity that he had to play here against Tech showed what he’s capable of, and we’ll get him prepared to play. I joked with him the other day, ‘You’re not really a freshman anymore. This is your sophomore year now.’”
Ewers, a sophomore, has missed five full games and three quarters of another because of shoulder injuries since transferring to Texas from Ohio State and becoming the starter last season.
He suffered an injury late in the first quarter against Alabama last season after completing 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards. Texas lost 20-19. This season he was injured during a victory against Houston. Earlier in the season, he passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 win at Alabama.
Ewers is not the first Texas quarterback to depart in the first quarter of a big game against Alabama with a shoulder injury. Colt McCoy was knocked out of the BCS national championship game against the Crimson Tide on Jan. 7, 2010.
He was replaced by Garrett Gilbert, a freshman who received no meaningful playing time that season, completing 15 of 26 passes in nine games before McCoy's injury. Gilbert completed 15 of 40 against Alabama with two touchdowns against four interceptions. His two second-half touchdown passes left the Longhorns trailing 24-21 with 6:15 remaining. But Gilbert fumbled while getting sacked with 3:02 left. Alabama recovered at the Texas 3, scored a touchdown, and went on to win 37-21.
Gilbert, a big national recruit from Austin, never gained any traction with the Longhorns. He sometimes was hounded by Texas fans and later transferred to SMU.
As for Manning, teammates say he is serious, studious and a hard worker.
“Arch has always had that mindset that I’m gonna come in and work for what’s mine,” safety Jerrin Thompson said.
McCoy, speaking on the Barstool Sports Pardon My Take podcast, was enthusiastic about Manning. McCoy said Manning displayed a detailed knowledge of the Texas offense while still in high school.
“I’ve been around Arch quite a bit," McCoy said. “He was so much more prepared and ready and mature than what I was when I came on campus.”
