Arch Manning NFL Draft: Insider notes on Texas QB's real potential, Steve Sarkisian's redshirt gamble, Quinn Ewers' injury, and more

The excitement in Austin, Texas, is so thick you can almost touch it. The Texas Longhorns, one of the all-time great programs in college football, are at the top of the rankings. The school that has not won a national title since 2005, almost 20 years ago, is stating its case in the early going as the top team in the country.

And if that weren’t enough, the excitement jumped to another level after quarterback Arch Manning was forced into the lineup and proved he was worth the anticipation.

Steve Sarkisian's Arch Manning redshirt gamble

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Going back one season ago when starting Quinn Ewers was injured and even struggled at points, a cry was heard from many Longhorns supporters to insert Manning into the lineup. Arch, grandson to former Ole Miss great Archie Manning and nephew of Super Bowl-winning signal callers Peyton and Eli, was a five-star recruit out of New Orleans and a highly rated high-school quarterback who snubbed several SEC suitors in favor of Texas.

Despite hopes he would play for the Longhorns as a freshman last season, the school chose to redshirt Manning even when Ewers was injured. It turned out to be the right move by head coach Steve Sarkisian, as once healthy, Ewers led Texas to the Big 12 title during its final season in the conference and ultimately a berth in the college football playoffs.

When camp started for the Longhorns this summer, there was talk Manning could unseat Ewers and become the team’s starter, talk that eventually amounted to nothing. Ewers was the opening-game starter for the Longhorns and led the team to a dominant win over Michigan in Week 2 before suffering an abdominal injury the following game in the second quarter against Texas-San Antonio, which forced him to the sidelines.

Arch Manning stats add to the Texas QB's real potential

Off the bench came Manning, who promptly threw a 19-yard touchdown pass on his first play then rushed for a 67-yard touchdown two snaps later.

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A legend was born.

The following week, with Ewers still ailing, Manning engineered a 51-3 victory over lowly Louisiana-Monroe. In it, Manning threw for 258 yards on 15 of 29 passing with two TDs as well as two INTs. The competition gets a little stiffer this week, as the Longhorns face off against Mississippi State, a quality opponent despite being at the bottom of the rankings in the SEC. As of the writing of this article, Sarkisian has made no final decision on who the starting quarterback will be Saturday.

Yet Manning fever is alive and well on the Texas campus, and that’s not necessarily good.

Arch Manning scouting report: First impressions from an NFL Draft expert

The latest signal-caller from the Manning household has the physical attributes to be a starter on Saturdays and Sundays, but he needs a lot of work. Funky throwing motion aside, he has the prototypical size of a classic quarterback with the arm strength and athleticism to match. Despite looking as though he short-arms passes, Manning is accurate with throws. He shows a lot of smarts on the football field as well.

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Most impressive is the way the team responds to Manning:

Those on hand tell me there’s a different vibe when he’s behind center, and teammates are willing to run through a brick wall for their young passer.

Arch Manning's NFL Draft preview

And while the excitement for Manning, who projects as a future first-round pick in the draft, is off the charts, the overwhelming feeling among people around the program is Arch needs a lot more experience before he’ll be ready to lead a program like Texas to a national title, never mind lead a team in the NFL.

Having two good quarterbacks at his disposal is usually a good problem for any coach, just as long as they can manage the situation. Manning has flashed ability, but Ewers, a top-40 pick in next April’s draft, has a successful body of work to point to. Once Ewers is back to health and inserted into the lineup, he’ll have to play lights out or the boo birds will be out in force calling for Manning’s insertion in the lineup.

Manning’s future is bright both as a collegian and professionally, but Ewers gives Texas the best shot to win a national title now. How Sarkisian handles the situation will determine the fate of the program, as well as both quarterbacks.