Texas
Why Arch Manning hasn’t transferred from Texas despite backup role
Quarterback Arch Manning will still not be the pioneer for Texas football next year, with Quinn Ewers returning to lead the highly touted Longhorns.
“It’s tough because you want to be out there playing with your boys,” Manning said during media availability at this year’s Manning Passing Academy, as reported by The Athletic.
Instead of looking for a new school where he could start, though, Manning has elected to stay in Austin.
“But (it came down to) just realizing there’s nowhere else I want to be, and it was my dream to play at Texas,” Manning said. “I’m going to stick it out and play there eventually.”
Barring an injury to Ewers, the decision means Manning won’t be coined QB1 until at least the 2025 campaign.
Skipping between schools has become common amongst college quarterbacks hoping to find their groove and more playing time.
In December 2023, nearly two-thirds of the top 20 quarterbacks from the each of the 2019-22 recruiting cycles (80 total), as ranked by 247 sports, were either in the transfer portal or had already switched schools, according to The Associated Press.
Manning’s decision brought surprise and confusion, so some turned to Ewers to get his take on the matter.
“I think he understands that what he’s got here is he’s gonna be the most ready whenever he goes to the NFL,” Ewers said, according to The Athletic.
“I think coach (Steve Sarkisian) does the best job getting quarterbacks ready for the NFL and developing guys. (Manning will) be playing in his third year. He’ll be more than comfortable in operating the offense, and it’s just a really good fit for him.”
Ewers also relates to Manning’s situation on a more personal level, as he was at Ohio State before transferring in 2021.
“I think his actions definitely go to show that the kid’s got some patience, for sure. I know it’s tough, because when I went to Ohio State, obviously it’s tough sitting behind somebody,” Ewers told the outlet.
The reality is that it’s hard to find time on the field as a quarterback, which means most players will have their collegiate career spread out over a few teams.
But Manning is deferring from that reality due to his lifelong dream to play at Texas.
The Texas Longhorns entered the 2025 season with more expectations than any team has had to deal with in recent memory.
Many among the media were ready to crown the team and quarterback Arch Manning before they even played one game. Of course, those unrealistic expectations were never met, even though the team finished with a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win over the Michigan Wolverines.
2026 is heading in the same direction for the Longhorns. Many believe head coach Steve Sarkisian has the most talented team in the country. But in order to fix the issues from this past season, the Longhorns needed to fix one issue that has cost them in the past.
Changing The Narrative
One of the biggest issues the Longhorns had last season was the play of the offensive line. It was apparent in the first game of the season against the Ohio State Buckeyes that Manning didn’t have the pocket time needed to make big plays.
This offseason, Coach Sarkisian went out and found two massive transfer portal additions that should completely change the narrative on this offensive line.
It starts with potential starting right tackle Melvin Siani. Siani has spent time with the Temple Owls and last season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Longhorns are set at left tackle with Trevor Goosby, who could play himself into being a top 10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. If the team can get competent play from Siani, the offense will be able to open up the playbook, and the world may finally see Manning at his college peak.
The Longhorns also went out and found a potential fix at left guard for the 2026 season. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers transfer Laurence Seymore could be another strong patch for the holes in the offensive line.
After spending the first two seasons of his college career with the Miami Hurricanes, Seymore made stops with the Akron Zips and the Hilltoppers.
Of course, the one concern with Seymore is wondering if he can compete at the SEC level coming from the C-USA.
This season for the Longhorns starts and stops with the play of Manning. Coach Sarkisian and the rest of this coaching staff understood that protecting their quarterback was the most important goal when building the 2026 roster.
The Longhorns are going to be leaning on veteran talent to protect their quarterback, and it may very well be the best decision they made this offseason.
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