CFB insider claims Arch Manning would stay locked in Texas if Quinn Ewers doesn't declare for 2024 NFL Draft

One of the more intriguing stories now that Texas has been eliminated from the College Football Playoff is what Arch Manning will do going forward. Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers is eligible for the 2024 NFL draft but has not decided whether to return to Austin or enter the draft.

However, whatever Ewers decides will not affect Manning's decision. College football insider Greg Swaim posted such on social media, so seeing how the Longhorns look in 2024 will be interesting.

Per Swaim, Arch Manning will have to enter the transfer portal by Tuesday, or he will be "locked in" for another season as a backup to Ewers.

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns lost 37-31 to the No. 2 Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl/CFP semifinal, so it will be interesting to see how the team looks under center in 2024.

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Will Arch Manning or Quinn Ewers be the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns in 2024?

The Arch Manning vs. Quinn Ewers debate has been sparked throughout the previous offseason, but it is difficult to take the job away from Ewers now. Ewers played extremely well throughout the year, finishing 272 of 394 (69.0 completion percentage) for 3,479 yards with 22 passing touchdowns to six interceptions.

Manning was the best high school prospect entering the 2023 college football season. He has rarely seen the field throughout the season, as Maalik Murphy was the QB2 when Ewers went down with a shoulder injury. However, with Murphy in the transfer portal, Texas awaits Ewers' decision.

If he says he is returning, Manning will be sitting for the second year in a row, as entering the Southeastern Conference in 2024, the Longhorns have a tougher road to get to this point. If Ewers announces that he is declaring for the 2024 NFL draft, the decision is made for them, as Manning would slide into the starting role.

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Can the Texas Longhorns compete for the SEC championship next season?

With the Longhorns entering the SEC next season, their schedule becomes a lot tougher. With no divisions in the conference and having a brutal schedule with games against Michigan, Oklahoma and Georgia in 2024, they have to figure things out as they will likely be the third-best team in the conference right away with very few opportunities to get ahead of that.

They beat Alabama head-to-head, but that was a different Crimson Tide team than we saw.