Steve Sarkisian explains why his team is "fortunate" to have both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning
Steve Sarkisian has it made when it comes to quarterbacks, with former five-stars Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning in his room. In the current era of college football where high-profile signal-callers look for immediate playing time, even at other schools via the transfer portal, Sarkisian’s roster represents a little bit of an anomaly when compared to the rest of the sport.
[Join Inside Texas and get ONE MONTH of Longhorn intel for just $1!]
That anomaly is a magnet for curiosity. Speaking on the All Facts, No Brakes podcast with Keyshawn Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson Jr., Sarkisian explained to Johnson Jr. why his team and both individual quarterbacks stand to benefit from being on the Longhorns’ 2024 roster.
“I’m a little bit old school with some of this stuff,” Sarkisian explained. “And I understand that in this day and age of recruiting, social media, and what’s going on, everybody wants to be the five-star, come in right away, and have instant impact and things of that nature. I’m a little bit of the belief that there’s a developmental side of our game so that when you do play you play great football and you have longevity in your career when you do get to the NFL because you’re prepared for that time when you get there.”
Ewers, who transferred to Texas from Ohio State, returns for his junior season despite the fact that he was likely to be selected in the upcoming NFL draft if he had declared. Ewers was 272-for-394 for 3479 yards and 22 touchdowns over six interceptions. He also rushed for five touchdowns.
“I think for Quinn, having one more season of starting, getting his start number up into the thirties as a bona fide starter, being the leader of a team, continuing to mature, staying healthy, and things of that nature (will help),” Sarkisian said.
Manning, who was the third-string quarterback for most of the 2023 season until an injury sidelined Maalik Murphy for the regular season finale and the Big 12 Championship, appeared in the Longhorns’ wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. He became the Longhorns’ backup after Murphy entered the portal.
Sarkisian said in early February that Ewers would remain the starter, but explained to Johnson Jr. why there’s still plenty of opportunity in front of Manning this year.
“For Arch, what a great opportunity as a back up now this year in his second season,” Sarkisian said. “Going to get some definite playing time, and we’re looking forward to him doing that, watching his maturation and growth.”
Quarterback play is Sarkisian’s bread and butter, dating back to his days not only at Alabama but also at USC. He knows a good situation when he sees it, and he has no problem boasting about the quarterbacks available to him when asked by rightfully interested media.
[Subscribe to the brand new Inside Texas YouTube channel!]
“I think for the both of these guys, it’s going to be the best for them for their futures so they can play the best football,” Sarkisian said. “We’re fortunate. I’ve never been anywhere where we haven’t had quarterbacks. We’re fortunate to have those two guys right now as guys who can go out and lead our offense and lead our team.”
