By Scott Salomon
It is widely speculated that the most sought-after player in the 2023 recruiting cycle will soon add his name to the transfer portal and leave the Longhorn program after it appears that incumbent starter Quinn Ewers will announce that he will return for one more season under center.
Arch Manning saw his first live game action of the season against Texas Tech in the final game of the season and will apparently receive a redshirt year as he did not appear in the requisite four games.
Manning totaled 30 yards in the air on two completions in five attempts and rushed for seven yards on three carries. While the numbers might appear quite pedestrian, it should be noted that this was at the end of a Texas rout while conducting mop-up duty.
Arch Manning makes his Texas debut 🚨 pic.twitter.com/oXxu62M8Vv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 25, 2023
“I’m not real sure yet,” Ewers responded when asked about his future following the 57-7 win over Texas Tech.
More Sports News
However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel believes that Ewers will make it official in the coming days, which might make Manning’s decision easier. The official start date for the portal is coming up on Monday, and the window is only open for 30 days. You could say that Manning is on the clock and that he has to make a decision sooner rather than later.
Manning committed to Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian after an illustrious prep career. However, with it taking a little longer to see daylight in a crowded quarterback room, Manning might be willing to trade his ten-gallon hat for more significant playing time somewhere else.
Regardless, it appears as though Manning is running out of patience sitting on the bench as the third-team quarterback, and it appears to be a longshot that he will return to the Longhorns.
If Ewers stays at Texas, Manning will once again return to the third team, as he will also have to jump Maalik Murphy, who started against BYU and Kansas State after Ewers went down with an injury. It is because of the injury that Ewers suffered that he might want to come back and show that he is still the same first-round talent that many scouts projected before he got hurt.
Potential landing places for Manning could include Ohio State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, or even Miami, who need a starting quarterback with Tyler Van Dyke entering the transfer portal and Emory Williams out until Spring with a compound fracture in his right arm.
Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett took to social media to lobby for Manning to transfer to Columbus and take over for Kyle McCord at quarterback.
Ohio State’s former running back put on his recruitment hat in pursuit of Texas QB Arch Manninghttps://t.co/DmsKoLeZIh
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 26, 2023
Clarett might not have a bad idea, as McCord was rather inept at quarterback this season and was one of the main reasons why Ohio State lost to Michigan last week.
Former Ohio State great Maurice Clarett wants Arch Manning in Columbus pic.twitter.com/KUvTMqFDaA
— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) November 26, 2023
Money and NIL deals are apparently not an issue with Arch, as his family has amassed great wealth in their own right. When your uncles are Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, and your grandfather is Archie Manning, money cannot influence this star in-the-making.
