“Pretty annoying having me as a backup”: Arch Manning heaps praise on Quinn Ewers for his contribution in his development

QB Arch Manning is slated to be the starting QB for the Texas Longhorns next season. This comes after two seasons of being behind QB Quinn Ewers as the backup. He had an opportunity to start two games this past season when Ewers went down with an injury, but he has not been able to start throughout the entire college season yet.

However, with Quinn Ewers entering the 2025 NFL draft, it is time for Arch Manning to take over the starting job. On Thursday, Manning spoke with the media after spring practice. He said it felt great to have Ewers help him prepare for life last QB1 at Texas. However, he admitted it must have been annoying for Ewers to have someone of his caliber as a backup.

"Texas QB Arch Manning says Quinn Ewers has been great in helping prepare him for life of QB1 at Texas," Vogel reported on Thursday via a tweet. "It’s probably pretty annoying having me as a backup with all the media stuff."

Manning is likely referring to the narrative building toward the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. Ewers had a strong season, but he was not without his flaws. As a result, many in the media were calling for head coach Steve Sarkisian to start Manning instead.

However, Sarkisian stuck with Ewers throughout the College Football Playoff, which paid off with a deep run to the playoff semifinals. Manning was sympathetic toward his teammate in that situation. He understands that having him as a backup was probably not ideal, but Ewers still chose to help mentor him despite the strange circumstances.

Arch Manning is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025

Arch Manning has not started a college season throughout his career. He started two games last season when Quinn Ewers went down with an injury early in the year. Otherwise, Manning has had little experience playing at the college level. After Ewers returned, Manning only appeared for run-specific plays.

Despite his lack of experience, the sportsbooks project that Manning is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy next season. Per FanDuel, He is tied with LSU QB Garrett Nussmeir with +800 odds to win the prestigious award. Manning will have the opportunity to win as the starter of Texas as the Longhorns are expected to contend in the Southeastern Conference.