Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has been floated in transfer portal rumors after it was reported that Quinn Ewers will return in 2024. While Manning doesn’t have an immediate path to a starting job in Texas, there is reportedly a good chance he will stick around.
Maalik Murphy, who backed up Ewers this season, announced this past week that he was entering the transfer portal. He wanted an opportunity to start in 2024 and with Texas not offering it, leaving for another Power 5 school became the best option. Many thought Manning would take the same path.
- Arch Manning stats 2023: 2-for-5, 30 passing yards, 7 rushing yards, 2.3 ypcRanked by 247 Sports as the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, Manning spent his freshman season redshirting at Texas. As the third-string quarterback behind Ewers and Murphy, Manning only played in the game against Texas Tech. While Ewers’ return next season blocks Manning from a path to the starting job, it appears that won’t compel him to leave the team.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic addressed Manning’s future in Texas amid an array of quarterbacks entering the transfer portal.
“Everything I heard was that he’s expected to stay another year…From everything I heard, the staff really likes Arch Manning, the consistency is a challenge right now, it’s up and down. But he’s a young quarterback.”
For as heralded of a recruit as Manning was, he also didn’t play the best competition in high school. It meant there was a steeper learning curve when he arrived at the Division I level, showing up throughout practice with inconsistent performances when he received reps.
It’s why the Longhorns kept him on the depth chart behind Murphy this past season and why the coaching staff wanted Ewers back as the starting quarterback in 2024. For now, Manning appears poised to be the Longhorns’ backup quarterback next fall and he would then be the heir apparent to take over for Ewers in 2025.