"I want to go to Texas": When QB Arch Manning once expressed desire to join the Longhorns as a kid

Arch Manning has always been a fan of the Texas Longhorns. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning wanted to play for the Longhorns during college ever since he was a kid.

In a video uploaded on Instagram on Tuesday, we see a throwback snippet of a young Arch wearing a Texas T-shirt. The video was originally taken in 2016 when he would have been 11.

"I want to go to Texas," Arch Manning says in the clip.

The video then cuts to some highlights of his time as a Longhorns quarterback.

Coming out of Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Louisiana, Arch Manning's dreams came true when he got the opportunity to commit and play for the Texas Longhorns. He signed his letter of intent in December 2022 and committed to coach Steve Sarkisian's team in June 2023.

During his freshman year last season, Manning was named the third-string QB behind QB1 Quinn Ewers and backup Maalik Murphy. Despite this, he got limited playing time on the field. The young signal-caller played in two games and put up 30 passing yards.

This season, Manning is serving as a backup to Quinn Ewers. He made an appearance during the Longhorns season opener against Colorado State on Aug. 31, putting up a total of 95 yards and one touchdown. He did not play during their Week 2 victory against the Michigan Wolverines. Ewers led the team in that game and tallied a total of 246 yards and three touchdowns.

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Peyton Manning reveals reasons behind Arch Manning's decision to stay in Texas

When Quinn Ewers announced his decision to return for one final season with the Longhorns, many expected Arch Manning to enter the transfer portal. However, he decided to stay loyal to the program and continue building on his experience before being handed over the starting QB job.

Arch's uncle Peyton Manning was on "The Pat McAfee Show 'last week. He talked about the factors that led to his nephew choosing to stay with the Longhorns despite not being the QB1 of the team.

"I'm proud of Arch, I'm proud of him," Peyton said. "Most kids wouldn't have stayed in that situation. He went to Texas because he wanted to play at Texas, he wanted to play for Sark. Those are the right reasons you should choose a college. I'm glad he's staying there. And he and Quinn have a good relationship."

Arch Manning is expected to take over as the team's starter once Quinn Ewers declares for the NFL draft next year. It will be interesting to see if he gets more playing time on the field as the Longhorns continue their debut SEC campaign this season.