The Arch Manning hype train is gathering steam with the college football season approaching.
Arch, the nephew of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Giants legend Eli Manning, reportedly outperformed the competition during Texas’ scrimmage Saturday.
“According to my sources, Texas freshman QB Arch Manning looked incredible during Saturday’s scrimmage,” according to orangebloods.com reporter Anwar Richardson.
“He scored on a 70-yard touchdown run on an improvised play. He also was incredibly accurate throughout the day. I’m told he looked better than any other backup QB.”
Prepare to hear many of these types of sentiments and observations regarding Manning leading into Texas’ opener against Rice on Sept. 2.
Manning is ESPN’s No. 5 prospect in the 2023 class and is seen as a sure-fire NFL prospect.
The question is when Texas will turn the reins over to Manning.
Former top prospect Quinn Ewers is the incumbent starter and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has already named Ewers the Longhorns’ starter.
It’s also possible Manning doesn’t play this upcoming season, especially since redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy already has an extra year of experience.
Once Ewers leaves Texas or if things go horribly wrong for the Longhorns during the 2023 campaign, then Manning likely enters the picture.
Texas is ranked 12th in the preseason coaches poll and received top billing in the preseason Big 12 media poll, ahead of Kansas State.
Manning, who just signed his first NIL deal, underwhelmed in Texas’ spring game in April, but Sarkisian downplayed Manning’s showing.
The true freshman completed just 5-of-13 passes for 30 yards.
“He’s on the right trajectory that he should be on,” Sarkisian told 105.3 The Fan in May. “He’s a true freshman in college. He really should still be in high school. Just finished his first semester on the Forty Acres.”
He added: “There’s a transition to college life, there’s a transition to the scheme that he hasn’t been accustomed to, there’s a transition to the speed of the game and how it goes.”
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