It would have been easy for Arch Manning to jump on the bandwagon and leave Texas after learning he'd be the backup for a second straight collegiate season. However, that wasn’t the case. Manning spent years learning behind Quinn Ewers, and now it's finally his turn. He described staying at Texas as a decision rooted in patience and belief.
“There’s nowhere else I want to be. I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas. Sometimes it's worth the wait,” Manning said.
Because Manning has seen limited action over his two years at Texas, some have begun to question the hype surrounding him—including an AFC college scouting director.
“They're almost surprised with that last name that he has that speed. He gets transformed into this elite prospect. The reality is we haven't really seen him run the offense with any consistency yet,” the scout said.
Manning still sits near the top of many draft boards, but there’s a growing belief he won’t be a one-year starter before heading to the NFL Draft.
“The word from people that have been down there visiting Texas for scouting visits has been that they expect Arch to be there for two more seasons," ESPN’s Field Yates said. "Will that prevail? We'll see, but that has been the sentiment that scouts have been gathering when they spend time around the Texas program this past season."
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
No one appears higher on Manning than Paul Finebaum. On Friday morning, he made a bold prediction for Texas’ Week 1 matchup against Ohio State.
“I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback, but I like everything about him and I think you said something. The Manning name matters, but it isn’t going to matter that field in a couple of weeks at Ohio State. The experience of being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener,” Finebaum said.
Winning on the road in college football is never easy—especially at Ohio State—but Finebaum believes Manning is more than ready. Only time will tell, but Finebaum has put all his marbles on Manning and Texas.