Texas will start Manning at QB vs. UL Monroe
Arch Manning will be the starting quarterback for Texas in Saturday's game against UL Monroe, head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday, per The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr.
Manning will make his first collegiate start as Quinn Ewers continues to recover from an abdominal injury. The redshirt freshman replaced Ewers in the second quarter of the Longhorns' 56-7 win over UTSA last weekend. He completed 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards and five total touchdowns, including a 67-yard TD run.
The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch had previously entered games for Texas with the score well in hand. The Louisiana native has passed for 318 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 77.8% completion rate through three games this season.
Ewers is expected to be on the sideline Saturday, where he'll wear an earpiece and support Manning, Sarkisian said, per Orangebloods' Anwar Richardson. The coach added that all the program's goals for Ewers, such as contending for the Heisman Trophy and becoming a top-five NFL draft pick, remain in front of him.
"I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he's the quarterback of that," Sarkisian said of Ewers, according to A to Z Sports' Brian Davis.
Sarkisian also noted that freshman Trey Owens will be Manning's backup Saturday with Cole Lourd serving as the third-string option, per Richardson.