The post-Quinn Ewers era for the Texas Longhorns might just be looking bright after all.

Steve Sarkisian’s star quarterback has led the team to several playoff appearances and conference wins during his three seasons. Now, with talk of Ewers heading to the NFL next year, it’s a bittersweet moment for Longhorns fans. Well, don’t worry about the void, Longhorns fans. The future looks pretty bright here!

Ewers kicked off the Saturday game in style, throwing 3 touchdowns and helping the team build a 38-0 lead before passing the baton to backup quarterback Arch Manning. Now, Manning entered the game in the 3rd quarter and quickly showed why he’s considered an elite 5-star talent. He wasted no time making solid connections with his wide receivers, making a pinpoint pass to WR Ryan Wingo for a big gain in the fourth quarter.

Manning had a day to remember on Saturday. He not only threw his first career touchdown pass, but he also led the Longhorns to a blowout 52-0 victory over Colorado State. It seems like Manning is ready to step into Ewers’ shoes when the time comes. And it’s not just Manning—his chemistry with the receivers is already showing great promise. Ryan Wingo, a top 2024 recruit, made several key plays, and Johntay Cook was another favorite target. In fact, Manning’s first snap of the season went for a 39-yard completion to Cook.

Despite losing key running backs like Christian Clark and CJ Baxter Jr. to injury, these young talents are stepping up and showing that the team has plenty of depth. It seems all those “learning moments” in Texas have paved the way for Arch Manning and the next-gen of Longhorn stars.

Arch Manning ready to replace Quinn Ewers

Steve Sarkisian spent about $280k to bring the elite Manning name to the Texas Longhorns in 2023. But, unfortunately, we didn’t see much of Arch Manning on the field that season. Rumors even started that Arch might transfer due to his lack of playing time. But senior QB Quinn Ewers wasn’t worried. Talking to former quarterback Robert Griffin III in June, he said, “I think he [Arch] gains a lot…he’s got more time to grow. You know, kind of being able to sit back and watch, it’s different than playing.”

And learning from Quinn Ewers is something any QB would want. Ewers, with three seasons in the Texas system, knows the offense inside and out. Plus, he’s a Heisman frontrunner, too. Now, all that learning from him seems to have paid off as Arch Manning shines in his first big SEC conference game.

Even head coach Steve Sarkisian is full of praise for Arch after their historic 52-0 win. In the post-game press conference, Sarkisian said Arch played less “robotic” and showed great instincts. It looks like Quinn Ewers might just be passing the torch to a worthy successor after all.