Why Arch Manning is unlikely to start at QB for Texas as Quinn Ewers recovers from shoulder injury

When Arch Manning signed with Texas final 12 months, he was once seen as the savior. The signal-caller who won’t best usher Texas into the SEC generation but additionally carry the Longhorns again to the highest of the college football global. So, when redshirt sophomore Quinn Ewers left Saturday’s sport towards Houston with a sprained AC joint, some can have anticipated to see the following era of the Manning dynasty get his time to shine. Instead, on the other hand, it was once redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy who entered the sport rather than the injured Ewers. 

Still, with Ewers recognized as “week-to-week” on Monday and the beginning spot up for grabs, perhaps now is when the grand announcement of Manning’s coming near near arrival as starter takes position? Well, no. Texas trainer Steve Sarkisian mentioned Monday that it’s going to most probably be Murphy, now not Manning, who gets the start vs. BYU on Saturday.

“Arch and Maalik will both get a ton or reps,” Sarkisian mentioned. “If the game was today, Maalik would start and Arch would be ready to come in.”  

So, why now not Manning? Well, you spot, preserving Manning away from the sphere in his true freshman season has been Sarkisian’s plan all alongside. 

Maalik Murphy is the more secure choice

Murphy has been the unquestioned second-teamer all season. He got here in for mop-up responsibility towards Rice and Baylor whilst Manning has but to strive a faculty move. 

“[Murphy]’s always had the highlight plays, but then there’s been plays that were not-so-highlight in taking care of the football,” Sarkisian said after the season-opener vs. Rice. “I think he’s done a much better job of doing that. Clearly, I think we saw glimpses of some of the throws that he was able to make in that ballgame last week.

It’s not difficult to read between the lines there. 

Murphy, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, provides a unique skill set that transforms the Texas offense into more of a “Cam Newton-style” scheme — particularly if Murphy can set up the sport like a seasoned-veteran. That’s a far more secure choice than it will be for Manning to input the sport. If Murphy can effectively set up the offense and, at the similar time, supply a novel talent set that can nonetheless make it tough for opposing defenses to get ready for, it mustn’t come as a surprise that he is the man. 

Preserving Arch Manning’s redshirt

Calling Murphy the more secure choice is not a slight towards Manning by way of any stretch. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound freshman has a ton of possible and is nearly without a doubt the “quarterback of the future” in Austin, Texas. However, after the 37-10 win over Rice in Week 1, Sarkisian instructed that “Plan A” was once, at the time, to redshirt the previous No. 1 total prospect. 

“Quite frankly I had all intentions of playing Arch in that game,” Sarkisian said. “I didn’t think that the fourth quarter would go as fast as it did, and then I didn’t want to put him in there for the last minute and a half and use a game on that.”

The phrases “use a game on that” are doing a large number of paintings in that quote. Players can seem in 4 video games and nonetheless stay their redshirt, so it is beautiful simple to attach the dots from what Sark mentioned again in September. 

Texas has 5 video games left — house video games vs. BYU, Kansas State and Texas Tech, as smartly as street journeys to TCU and Iowa State. The teenager is already getting ready to holding his redshirt, so why would Sark rip off the bandage now realizing that he can start with Murphy and nonetheless use Manning for the bulk of what is left within the common season? That would make no sense. If Murphy struggles, Texas makes the Big 12 Championship Game and/or probably the College Football Playoff, Sarkisian can re-asses the location. Or, in an excellent global, simply re-insert Ewers when he is able to cross.

The plan to maintain Manning’s redshirt now is not made inside of a vacuum, both. 

Ewers is the No. 5 quarterback prospect and the No. 35 total participant within the CBS Sports 2024 NFL prospect ratings. College gamers receives a commission some huge cash now within the generation of brand name, symbol and likeness, however it is honest to suppose that Ewers will give severe attention to making the leap to the NFL. Assuming that occurs, Sarkisian would input the 2024 season — Texas’ first within the SEC — with an overly wholesome quarterback scenario. The switch portal, in fact, might be sexy to Murphy or Manning (or each). That’s simply how it is these days. However, getting into a important offseason with an overly aggressive quarterback combat would supply an excellent basis as Texas makes the leap to its new convention.