“Tried to prepare like I’m the starter”: When Arch Manning addressed his backup role at Texas behind Quinn Ewers

Arch Manning was a third-string quarterback in his first season at Texas. Following his struggle in the 2023 spring game, Maalik Murphy was named as backup to starter Quinn Ewers in the fall camp, leaving the Isidore Newman High School product with limited game time in 2023.

However, this did not deter Manning from preparing the best way in the 2023 college football season. When Murphy entered the transfer portal ahead of the College Football Playoff game against Washington last December, the quarterback talked about his mentality towards his role in the team.

“I’ve tried to prepare like I’m the starter every week, but I guess now that you’re just one play away instead of two, there’s a little more to be prepared for,” Manning said.

“A lot of it is mental just because you’re watching, you’ve got to get mental reps and just trying to prepare like you’re the starter because there’s a good chance you play. There’s also a good chance you don’t play, but at the end of the day, it’s just football, going out there, doing what I’ve done my whole life. So that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Arch Manning’s increased role at Texas in 2024

Following the transfer of Maalik Murphy to Duke in the offseason, Arch Manning has had an increased role at Texas. Now the primary backup option, the quarterback has seen significant game time in the 2024 season, preparing for the starting role in 2025.

There were rumors that Manning was planning to transfer out of Texas in the offseason after Quinn Ewers returned for his senior year. However, he stayed with the Longhorns despite how intriguing it was to leave. He’s formed a strong connection with Ewers within the team.

“I think the rapport that he and Quinn have with one another has led to a lot of his success because I think he’s very coachable, he wants to learn, he can learn from others,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said about the relationship between his two quarterbacks.

“But his development I think has been the biggest key from where he was a year and a half ago when he first got here in spring practice to the way he played last weekend. That’s a credit to his work ethic, it’s a credit to the staff of working with him.”

Manning has started two games this season for Texas in the absence of Ewers. This gave fans a glimpse of what to expect in the 2025 season, with the quarterback impressing significantly. He’s thrown for 901 yards and nine touchdowns so far this season.