7x national champ Nick Saban shares honest thoughts about Texas’ backup QB Arch Manning

Arch Manning enters his sophomore season at Texas in the 2024 college football season. He was the third-string quarterback last season, behind starter Quinn Ewers and backup Maalik Murphy. However, in the upcoming season, he will be the backup to Ewers.

As the new season draws closer, Nick Saban has high praise for Arch Manning. Speaking in the Longhorns quarterback room, the seven-time national championship-winning coach appreciated his performance at the spring game and believes he will play a crucial role for Texas in the upcoming season.

“Manning was lights out in the spring game,” Saban said. "Arch was like 21-for-25 for 347 yards. That depth at quarterback is probably really important for them because Ewers has missed time the last couple of years, a game or two, which could really affect where you end up. So I really like Texas.”

Steve Sarkisian is happy to have Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has expressed his satisfaction with the team's quarterback room ahead fò the 2024 college football season. He believes the team is in a fortunate position to have both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning in the room.

"We're really fortunate to have that room and the quality of people in that room, and that's a credit to Coach Milwee to bridge that gap to bring two guys together to pull for one another," Sarkisian said.

"They're great teammates; they both just want to win. They both want to be really successful, and I think they do appreciate the journey that each guy's on.

Texas plays in the SEC in the upcoming season, which translates to tougher opponents for the team. The presence of Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning offers the Longhorns great depth in the most crucial position.

Nick Saban says Texas won't run the SEC

There's a lot of hype around Texas ahead of their first season in the SEC. However, Nick Saban believes the Longhorns won't have it easy in the conference despite their rich performance history.

“What kind of tickles me is all these people asking questions about how Texas always ran the conference they were in. They’re not gonna run the SEC,” Saban said. “… They’ll be a good team and a great program and Sark will do a great job, but that’s not gonna be a problem.”

The SEC is undoubtedly the toughest conference in college football. The league has won 12 of the last 17 national championships, showcasing its prowess in the league. Without a doubt. Texas will feel the difference when it starts competing in the league next season.