While Texas quarterback Trey Owens’ Orange ended up defeating Arch Manning’s White at the Longhorns’ spring game Saturday, Manning’s performance was the highlight of the day.
Manning completed 19 of 25 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns on the day, giving many Longhorn fans something to look forward to in the backup.
However, it was his 75-yard touchdown that was all the chatter.
Manning entered the game late in the first quarter and faked a screen, confusing cornerback Terrance Brooks on a switch route, and found sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. down the field for the long score.
Failing to score on their first two drives, the touchdown from Manning put the White team on the board with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
On the following possession, Manning kept his momentum, tallying another touchdown thanks to the legs of junior running back Jaydon Blue for 29 yards, who left senior linebacker Morice Blackwell flat-footed as he went by.
By halftime, Manning helped the White cut Orange’s lead to 21-17, and he came back to open the second half with another touchdown drive, which was highlighted by a leaping catch by junior Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond.
The reception, along with another long reception to sophomore wide receiver Johntay Cook, set up a short touchdown run for CJ Baxter.
Throughout the Texas’ 12-2 season in 2023, there was much speculation whether the freshman quarterback would enter the transfer portal to be the top signal caller for a different program.
However, Manning chose to stick it out with Texas as a backup again for his sophomore year, and with Quinn Ewers opting to delay his jump to the NFL, head coach Steve Sarkisian said there would be no quarterback competition.
Despite the uphill climb, Manning is still proving his worth with the Longhorns, which his uncle, Giants legend Eli Manning, said was the smart decision.
“Obviously, the plan was maybe Ewers would go into the NFL,” Eli Manning previously said, “but he’s there. It’s another year for Arch to mature, learn an offense, get bigger, stronger in the weight room and always be prepared to play. You never know what’s gonna happen. He’s gotta be ready. If not, then he gets some playing time here and there and he’s got three more years of eligibility at a great school, at a great football program on the rise. The fact that you can transfer so easily now doesn’t mean you should do it, just because you’re not playing right away.”
Last season, Arch had only two appearances, completing 2 of 5 passes for a total of 30 yards.
