Arch Manning shares where his relationship with Quinn Ewers stands

Arch Manning‘s highly anticipated first season of college football didn’t particularly jump off the page, as he spent his freshman season backing up Quinn Ewers.

In Ewers’ final season at Texas (2024), he passed for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to a College Football Playoff appearance. Manning saw just three starts (UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State) in games that Ewers missed due to injury.

Manning discussed his relationship with Ewers, who is now with the Miami Dolphins, during this week’s SEC Media Days event. Ewers was selected with the No. 231 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“I learned so much from Quinn in my two years behind him,” Manning said. “I think he handled it like a pro. It’s definitely not easy having me as a backup with all the media, but he’s always been nice and good to me. I’m forever thankful for him and I actually texted him the other week for advice on two-minute [drills], and what plays he likes to start with.”

Ewers transferred to Texas in 2022 after redshirting his freshman season at Ohio State. In his three year stint with the Longhorns, the San Antonio native led Texas to a 33-10 record with two College Football Playoff appearances. His third and final season in Austin however was much different, as he had the media circus (known as Arch Manning) as his backup.

Manning started three games in relief of Ewers in 2024

“He’s great. He’s a good kid,” Ewers told On3 via phone on behalf of Panini America at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. “He was definitely fun to have in the quarterback room. We’re good buddies.”

“I’m super excited to see what he does. He’s a hard-working kid, he’s a hard studier. He’s going to set himself up to be as successful as he wants to be, and I think he’s got a chance to go do exactly that and continue on living out what we built at Texas.”

Although Arch started just three games, he saw game action in 10 total games. He passed for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions on 90 attempts last season. He seems primed for a Heisman-caliber season in 2025.

“I think you got to walk the walk first,” Manning said. “I think as much as it wasn’t always fun to sit in those two years, I think I got a lot of respect for my teammates, coming out of this from a place of love, not just being a turd.”

Manning and the Longhorns open the 2025 season in a blockbuster matchup against Ohio State on August 30.