Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Steve Spurrier asks the question about Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning that everyone has been wondering

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 12:29 PM ET

Former Florida Gators head coach Steve Spurrier asked a question this week about Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning that it seems like everyone has been asking this offseason.

Spurrier questioned why Manning — who is set to take over as the Longhorns' full-time starter this fall — didn’t start as a redshirt freshman last season if he’s as good as everyone seems to think.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian elected to roll with senior Quinn Ewers as his starting quarterback last season. Manning, though, received two spot starts in the middle of the season when Ewers was sidelined due to injury.

"They've got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman," said Spurrier on Another Dooley Noted Podcast. "And my question is, if [Arch] was this good, how come that they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? And [Ewers] was a seventh round pick (in the 2025 NFL Draft).

"You'll have to ask Coach Sark, you know, how come you played that one instead of this one? Hopefully, [Sark will say] because we thought he was better than that one. Isn't why you play one guy and not the other? Unless it's discipline, and there was no disciplinary [action with Arch]."

It's a fair question from Spurrier, and one that many have been asking, but it ultimately doesn't matter. Manning will get a chance to show how talented he is this fall. And whether he performs well or not won't change the outcome of the 2024 season for Texas. What's done is done.

Sarkisian's decision to start Ewers last season likely came down to the experience factor. There's also the fact that Texas is taking an old school approach to Manning's development -- which should pay major dividends in the long run for the Longhorns.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: