The 19-year-old Texas quarterback, Arch Manning, has been making waves in college football since his performance last week’s Texas vs. the University of Texas. Manning comes from a family that has created many athletes. He’s the nephew of famous former NFL players Peyton and Eli Manning. Given his play, it looks like he is living up to that legacy. After Texas’s star quarterback Quinn Ewers left the game facing an injury, Manning took charge of the game and helped his team to a 56-7 victory over UTSA. Fast forward to today’s game; fans have high expectations of him. People started calling out after some disappointing mistakes. However, many analysts suggested he still had so much time to “develop.”

The game between the Texas Longhorns and Louisiana is still on the go. The much hyped-about quarterback of Texas, Arch Manning, replaced the Texans’ injured quarterback, Quinn Ewers. Manning has compiled 11 out of 21 passing yards along with two touchdowns and two disappointing interceptions till halftime in the game. While many started judging him too quickly, analyst Robert Griffin supported him through an ‘X’ post; he wrote, “You see why Arch Manning is a sensational prospect, but still has so much room to grow and develop.” Furthermore, he wrote in capital letters, “There’s NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.” That’s what going to college is about.” He concluded his tweet by suggesting that he’s still too young in the game and that he’ll need some time to develop at his best.

Quinn Ewers was ranked highest on the SEC quarterback rankings before he went out because of an injury. Before that, Ewers has been brilliant and has done a lot for Texas. He led Texas to the college football playoffs last season and also contributed to Texas’s major wins over Colorado and Michigan in the 2024 season. Afterward, when Manning replaced him for today’s game, it created a debate among Texas about who’s better. But if we look into what Ewers has to say about Manning, all this gossip is skin deep. “With the growth that Manning has shown and the ability to work at his craft, there is a real level of appreciation. I think from Quinn to Arch.” said head coach Steve Sarkisian while talking about these two players. Besides, let’s look at the highlights of today’s game.

Arch Manning’s contributions to Texas’s win over Louisiana

Arch Manning threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns in a 51-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. If we talk about the first half of the game, Manning performed quite okay-ish. Although he passed for two touchdowns of 3 yards and 17 yards, he also threw two disappointing interceptions. Added to that, he missed out on a few potential touchdowns. After halftime, Manning bounced back and in total contributed with 15 out of 29 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He also helped score 12 points with a rushing touchdown.

Besides Manning, Jaydon Blue returned to the game after a week’s absence because of injury. To everyone’s surprise, Blue scored four massive touchdowns contributing to Texas’ ultimate victory. With that, wide receiver Issaiah Bond scored six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown and Bryan Wnigo scored four receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown.

Besides that, this victory signifies Texas’s high odds in the SEC. This win solidifies Texas’s top position in college football. They move ahead into a challenging schedule, including a game against Mississippi State and Georgia, which will be crucial for its role in the playoffs as well.

Catch some more insider information and predictions in the ES ThinkTank episode below starring Doug Sanders.