Texas HC Steve Sarkisian refuses to acknowledge Quinn Ewers-Arch Manning's switch up under any circumstances

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is getting his undefeated, top-ranked team ready for what could be a season-defining game against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. However, Sarkisian has also had to deal with a few tough questions about his team.

One question of note concerns the team's choice of quarterback. Quinn Ewers is set to play this week after playing his first game back from an abdominal injury on Saturday, a 34-3 blowout of then-No. 18 Oklahoma.

While he was away, Arch Manning was able to shine, showing that he is the future starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns (6-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).

Some think that Manning should remain as the starter.

During his news conference on Thursday, Steve Sarkisian was asked what it would take for Arch Manning to become the starting quarterback again.

Sarkisian seemed to refuse to acknowledge the question, saying:

"I'm not even going to answer that. I don't know what the question is. Next question."

Steve Sarkisian is not interested in these kinds of questions and scenarios. He is only focused on the upcoming game with the Georgia Bulldogs. One that Quinn Ewers will be starting.

"When I was a starter, I never wanted the backup coming in, even for a play," Sarkisian said. "I've got respect for the rhythm that a starting quarterback needs. So, no, that's not something I've ever entertained."

During the four games that Ewers has played this season, he has thrown for 890 yards and nine touchdowns. In comparison, Arch Manning has thrown for 901 yards and has also thrown nine touchdowns in the two games that he started.

However, the caliber of each opponent needs to be taken into account when looking at the numbers.

While Manning's numbers are at the moment higher (and achieved in fewer games), this could be because he was involved in games against UL Monroe and UTSA.

These teams had significantly weaker defenses than the then-No. 10 Michigan Wolverines and Oklahoma Sooners teams that Ewers faced.

For now, this is Quinn Ewers' team, and Steve Sarkisian has no plans on changing anytime so soon.

Steve Sarkisian praises Arch Manning

Despite saying that he would not be the starting quarterback, Sarkisian praised Arch Manning on Thursday.

"Arch wants to learn and grow, and he's done just that," Sarkisian said. "From where he was a year-and-a-half ago to now, it's a credit to his work ethic."

While Manning will remain the backup for the rest of the season (unless Ewers gets injured again), the redshirt freshman is almost certain to take the starting role for the 2025 season. Ewers, a junior, is expected to turn pro.

This was widely predicted to happen when Manning decided to stay at Texas for 2024 instead of transferring despite Ewers returning for this season. Now, Manning should have plenty of experience going into next season.