Arch Isn't Going Anywhere. Bud Should He?

So why leave Texas?

Because another year of development could be a crusher.

I’ll explain. Manning played horrible competition in high school and, as a result, shouldn’t have been rated as a five-star plus or whatever nonsense that is. College football is a massive step up in competition for him and much needed to take the next step as a QB. But sitting for two years? How will that develop him? With Quinn Ewers expected to be back and the QB1 next season, why would Manning sit another year? Teams like Ole Miss, Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, and others could certainly use his services to make a push to a national tire run next season, and we assume he’s better than Jaxson Dart, Devin Brown, Alex Orji, Will Rogers, and others, don’t we? Or he could be an instant starter for some programs on the cusp of being elite, like Arizona, Louisville, LSU, or even Notre Dame.

Manning has admitted some angst at the situation in Texas.

“There were a lot of tough days, I’m not going to lie,” said Manning at a Sugar Bowl media session. “I was never a backup in high school, so there were some days when you graduate early and you’re alone in your dorm room. You’re like, it’s just another day of fighting for the third-string job. My family, they’re supporting me. Coaches are pushing me. I’m glad I had this year to develop, learn, and grow as a person and a player.”

I know this sounds dumb, and I also know Manning isn’t going anywhere now that Maalik Murphy has gone to Duke, but my point still stands — another year of the scout team and backup reps isn’t best for his career.

But obviously, Manning isn’t going anywhere.

“Obviously, there’s always rumors, especially nowadays,” Manning said. “I haven’t looked into transferring at all. I’m just focused on developing and helping this team any way I can and hopefully one day playing for the University of Texas like I’ve always wanted to.”

So what about this? Manning beats out Ewers for the starting job next season. After all, Ewers has been solid but not spectacular at Texas, and that’s largely the reason he’s not off to the NFL after this season as many, including the Mannings, expected. Ewers led the team to the college football playoff, but some think his average play was the reason Texas fell short against Washington. It’s a solid point, and maybe Manning is better by next season, but going from that awful high school competition and third-string reps to beating out a starter who led his team to the playoff is a large ask.

Here’s how I see it all playing out. Manning improves through the spring and enters the 2024 season as a backup. He will get mop-up time and perhaps some key reps if Ewers gets injured, as has happened in the past, and 2025 will be his year in Austin. But I can’t help but picture Manning in another uniform next season, mainly Ole Miss, where his grandfather and uncle are legends, and his dad played WR, and leading the loaded Rebels roster to the playoff. Maybe Manning will be like Mitch Trubisky at UNC and wait his turn while becoming a high NFL first-rounder. But part of me thinks he could be the next Michael Penix Jr, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, or even Quinn Ewers, and find a home where he can be the man and develop.