“Haven’t really done anything”: When Arch Manning was left surprised by Texas fans’ ovation during Sugar Bowl semifinal

Texas Longhorns fans were thankful for Arch Manning his season, although the backup quarterback isn't really clear on what they're thankful for. During the postgame interviews of the Sugar Bowl, in which Texas lost 28-14 to Ohio State, press members asked Manning about the ovation he received from the Longhorns fans in the stadium.

Here's what the signal-caller had to say:

"It surprised me, especially because I haven't really done anything yet. But it was good, we have good fans, everyone in Austin and our fanbase has been super nice, super welcoming to me."

Interestingly, Arch Manning only featured in one eight-yard carry during the Sugar Bowl. Some have criticized coach Steve Sarkisian for not putting Manning on at any point in the fourth quarter to spice up the Longhorns' offense.

He did take charge of Texas's offense for three games early in the season when Quinn Ewers went down with an oblique injury. In total this season, he recorded 939 passing yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. His QBR was 87.5, and he also had 104 rushing yards with four touchdowns on 25 carries.

Arch Manning expected to become Texas's starter as Quinn Ewers declares for the NFL Draft

After much speculation regarding what Quinn Ewers would do in 2025, Texas's starter has declared for the NFL draft. With that, Arch Manning became the future of the SEC school.

ESPN was one of the first publications to react to the changes in the Longhorns' locker room, posting a picture of Manning with the following caption:

"A new era"

Ewers posted a video on X in which he recapped his feelings and achievements as a Texas quarterback over the last three years. At the end of the video, he announced that he was declaring for the NFL draft.

Ewers passed for 2,472 yards and 31 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 2024. He isn't expected to be a first-rounder, with experts putting him between the second and third rounds of the draft.