Manning’s stellar play raises even more questions about one of college football’s most talked-about stories.
The University of Texas held its Spring football game on Saturday, April 20, and eyes were on Arch Manning, the highly recruited high school player who is Archie’s grandson, Cooper’s son, and Peyton’s and Eli’s nephew. Arch spent most of last season on the bench, and it became the biggest non-playing story of the 2023 college football season.
That was last year. If the Spring game indicates how things will go in 2024, Arch Manning is the player many fans will want to see under center. Per ESPN, Manning completed 19-26 passes for 355 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
But the big question from last year is still the big question going into 2024: How much playing time will the young football Manning see this fall? We need to start by revisiting how Texas did last season. Texas made it to the College Football Playoffs, and starting QB Quinn Ewers was a big reason why, throwing for 3500 yards and 22 TDs.
When Ewers announced that he’d return for his junior year, many speculated that decision would send Manning to the transfer portal, but it didn’t.
So, given that situation, how much playing time will Manning get during UT’s first season in the Southeastern Conference? I think it will be like last season. It would be unimaginable to demote Ewers after his 2023 performance, while Manning played in only one game last season, completing two of five passes for 30 yards, playing in relief during UT’s 57-7 win over Texas Tech.
While anything can happen, one thing is for sure: this story will receive plenty of attention before and during the 2024 season.
