Steve Sarkisian assesses first touchdown drive of Arch Manning's careeer

For just the third time in his career, Arch Manning is getting playing time in a Texas uniform. This go-round, the opponent is Colorado State as the backup quarterback sees action with the Longhorns winning in a blowout. Manning decided to get in on the action and got his own touchdown throw, the first of his career.

Steve Sarkisian was able to give a quick evaluation of the overall drive when doing an in-game interview with ESPN. The head coach believes all of the positive attributes Texas has in Manning were on full display to get a score everyone in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium cheered quite loudly.

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“I liked that he got through his progression on the keeper there and found the open route,” Sarkisian said entering the fourth quarter. “And then third down — the one thing about Arch, he’s a real athletic guy. He’s able to use his legs, extend the play, and find a touchdown pass.”

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Not very often do programs have a backup quarterback the caliber of Manning. A former Five-Star Plus+ prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class per the On3 Industry Rankings, Manning is entering his second season with the program. Not too many high-level quarterbacks would sit behind somebody else for a couple of years.

But Manning coming back is something Sarkisian believes is important for his development, getting him prepared for the NFL.

“I’m a little bit old school on some of this stuff,” Sarkisian said via the All Facts No Brakes podcast. “I understand in this day and age of recruiting and social media, everybody wants to be the five-star and come in right away and have instant impact.

“But I’m a little bit of the belief that there’s a developmental side to our game. So that when you do play, you play great football, and that you have longevity in your career when you do play in the NFL because you are prepared for that time.”

Manning should be getting a few more opportunities in 2024. Sarkisian knows some kind of role will need to be carved out for the redshirt freshman, using the entire roster as Texas makes a run at a second consecutive College Football Playoff.