As Quinn Ewers trudged off the AT&T Stadium turf and approached the tunnel following Texas’ season-ending loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, scores of nearby Longhorns fans applauded and offered gratitude and encouragement to Ewers and the teammates who followed him off the field.
Ewers, with a white Gatorade towel draped around his neck, looked around at the scene for a moment. As entered the tunnel, he turned back toward the field, brought the towel to his mouth with his right hand and took one last look before leaving the field for good.
After three seasons, two College Football Playoff semifinal appearances and seemingly endless scrutiny, that’s how the Ewers era at Texas ended, with the NFL his likely next stop. The Arch Manning era, which many fans have anxiously awaited since the quarterback with football royalty bloodlines committed to Texas on June 23, 2022, is finally here.
Manning, the son of Cooper, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie, was the most highly anticipated recruit to arrive on the Forty Acres since Vince Young in 2002. Manning was the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023 per 247Sports, and that ranking, his size, his skill set and his famous last name have made him the subject of far more attention than your average backup quarterback.
No longer will the idea of Manning and his ceiling exist in the abstract. It’s his time, for real, and his first game as the unquestioned face of the program will be against the same team Ewers faced in his last: Ohio State, on Aug. 30 in Columbus.
Manning has had to exercise patience in an era that is short on it, particularly among blue-chip quarterbacks, who often transfer if they don’t earn the starting job early in their career. But Manning’s background and built-in advantages allowed him to take a unique approach and wait it out while Texas coach Steve Sarkisian stuck by Ewers.
Some fans clamored for Manning to see more extended playing time even when the more experienced Ewers was healthy enough to play this season. But both Texas and its new starting quarterback will be better for the wait.
Ewers, who was a No. 1 recruit himself, lifted the program back to national prominence and took it to the cusp of a national title game two years in a row, starting 21 of the Longhorns’ 25 wins. Manning got something most highly ranked recruits don’t: time.
He had a year to redshirt, develop and learn as the third-string quarterback. This season, he stepped into the backup role and saw significant snaps. He went off for five touchdowns in relief of an injured Ewers in a 56-7 win against UTSA. Manning started the next two games as Ewers recovered from a strained oblique. Texas won both, but Manning showed that he wasn’t perfect, making plenty of young quarterback mistakes.
Manning also had the chance to get involved in specialized packages late in the season, as Sarkisian utilized him as a runner in short-yardage situations, including on a key fourth down late in the first half against the Buckeyes.
All that experience will help. Young quarterbacks are often rushed onto the field in sink-or-swim situations — either by necessity or because coaches feel pressured to play them out of fear that they’ll transfer. Manning assumes the reins at Texas under much more favorable circumstances. He has had two seasons to learn under Sarkisian and quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee. He doesn’t have to be the savior for Texas football, because the program is already in the best shape of the past 15-plus years.
It’s easy to see why Manning will likely be viewed favorably by oddsmakers handicapping next season’s Heisman Trophy race. The glimpses Manning has provided so far — from ripping off a 67-yard touchdown run to driving the ball downfield with impressive accuracy and velocity — are enticing. But what will he have around him?
That’s where the bulk of the work remains for Sarkisian and his staff. The Longhorns have to rebuild an offensive line that is losing at least three starters. All-America left tackle Kelvin Banks on Sunday declared for the NFL Draft, as expected. Left guard Hayden Conner and center Jake Majors have exhausted their eligibility. Right guard DJ Campbell and right tackle Cam Williams are both draft-eligible.
Tight end Gunnar Helm, who led the team in receptions, is also out of eligibility. Draft decisions remain for receivers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond. Running back Jaydon Blue, who caught two touchdowns against Ohio State, declared for the draft on Sunday.
But not all of Texas’ key skill talent is leaving. Freshman receiver Ryan Wingo and sophomore DeAndre Moore were both key contributors this year. Sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner, who led the team with 226 carries, should be back. Jerrick Gibson, a freshman used often in short-yardage situations, and CJ Baxter, who started as a true freshman in 2023 but missed 2024 with a preseason knee injury, should also return.
On defense, the front will need to be rebuilt; it’s possible that Texas will return just two of the eight defensive linemen who played at least 100 snaps. The defense’s best player, Jahdae Barron, is out of eligibility. Edge rusher Trey Moore has a draft decision to make. But there are big-time players returning, including linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and edge rusher Colin Simmons. And there’s confidence on the Forty Acres because of the talent the staff has recruited and the development that has taken place behind the scenes.
Texas continues to rely heavily on high school recruiting, signing 25 prospects in the nation’s No. 1 class this cycle, and has taken just four transfers since the portal opened in December, which speaks to how the staff feels about the talent on hand. The Longhorns lost 11 players to the NFL Draft before the 2024 season and ended up back in the semifinals. It shouldn’t be surprising if they find a way to replicate that in 2025.
That’s where the focus returns to Manning. As good as Texas was in 2024, it didn’t operate at peak efficiency offensively in the second half of the season. Red zone issues creeped back into the picture, rearing their ugly head at the worst possible time against Ohio State. Injuries, dropped passes and turnovers also played a role in the offensive inconsistency.
Could Manning be the cure? The deep shot plays that Sarkisian likes to draw up may be a better fit for Manning, who showed off that part of his game during his time in the lineup, than they were for Ewers. Manning’s running ability will present defenses with an extra factor to account for if Sarkisian chooses to utilize it. Sarkisian, by his own admission before this season, has never majored in the quarterback run game.
But Manning’s talent opens up a lot of possibilities. Can he elevate Texas’ offense to one of the elite units in college football? If the refreshed front can protect him, that’s certainly in the cards.
And if he can, Texas will be in the title mix again in 2025, and Manning will have been well worth the wait.
(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
