PICS: Arch Manning caught in a Cowboy hat before Texas-Kentucky clash

Arch Manning is one of college football's highest-rated prospects and is slowly turning himself into a franchise quarterback for the future.

The Texas Longhorns star has made himself a fan favorite and appears to be adapting to the lifestyle in Austin.

Before the Longhorns' game against the Kentucky Wildcats, Manning, just like Longhorns superfan Matthew McConaughey, was seen sporting a cowboy hat.

Manning started this season as a backup quarterback and is likely to spend the rest of it as a backup to Quinn Ewers.

However, earlier in the season, Manning briefly took control of the program and became their starting quarterback after Ewers suffered an abdominal injury.

In those two-and-a-half games, Manning was able to comfortably lead the Longhorns to victories over easy opposition.

However, the moment Ewers was declared fit to play, he quickly returned to the starting quarterback role, to the disappointment of some sections of the Longhorn fanbase. They wanted Manning to remain as the starting quarterback.

These calls have only become louder in recent weeks, as since his return, Ewers has struggled to return to his usual dominant form.

However, despite his struggles, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has kept the experienced Ewers as the starter, with Manning making the occasional appearance when needed.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian on Quinn Ewers

Despite the focus on Arch Manning, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has given praise to Quinn Ewers and his achievements from his time with the Longhorns.

On Thursday, Sarkisian said:

My hope is that he's (Quinn Ewers) enjoying this experience, because this stuff is once in a lifetime. He is a guy that leads us to a Big 12 championship last year, to a College Football Playoff game, and we're one play away (against Washington) from playing for a national title, and he comes back, and here we go again.

"And through all of that, he's endured a couple pretty significant injuries and he continues to fight back. So, I'm hopeful that, A, he's enjoying it and, B, he's learning some real-life lessons about how to deal with adversity."

While Manning is the fan favorite, Ewers is the quarterback who has the experience of playing and winning big games, as he did numerous times last season.

While Ewers has one more year of eligibility left, there is a chance that he will declare for the NFL Draft. If this is the case, then 2025 will be the long-awaited start of the Arch Manning era.