All that build-up, hype, patience, and dare I say, restraint. Arch Manning paid his dues as he waited his turn from the shadows, and so did the masses. He probably could have jumped ship at this juncture last year when he was told he’d have to sit for a 2nd season behind Quinn Ewers on the depth chart. But Arch stood ten toes down, and boy, are Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns faithful glad he did. Now NASA operates from nearby Houston, but this burnt orange rocketship out of Austin is now ready for takeoff. Amidst the fervor around Arch Manning’s ascension to QB1, Coach Sark has pointed to a trifecta of skills/virtues the QB has been cultivating while in the wings. 

Before Arch Manning ever set foot on the UT-A campus, a section of the fanbase was already prepared to hand him that QB1 shirt. The last name that would’ve graced it, in tandem with what Arch put on tape, was enough. But coach Sarkisian knew better than to prematurely throw him into the deep end. Manning redshirting in 2023 made sense, and the fans’ disapproval wasn’t very vocal. However, last season spawned a ton of calls for Manning to replace Ewers. These calls rose from a concoction of Ewers being relatively substandard to previous seasons, Manning having a year under his belt, and Sark indeed playing the latter sporadically depending on in-game situations. The fans had gotten a taste, and as Paul Pierce once said, they wanted the whole load. Well, they did. For 2 games.

When Quinn Ewers went down with an oblique injury in Week 3, Arch Manning filled in as the starter. Although he was thrust in abruptly on short notice, Arch didn’t make it seem so. The transition was seamless. Texas won both games, and his contributions reflected on the statsheet. Alas, Steve Sarkisian didn’t waver from his plans, and Ewers was reinstated into the team. Leaving those of a Texas persuasion slightly soured, but understandably. That said, those 2 games did a lot. It didn’t just give the program confidence that Arch Manning is their QB of the future, but also induced Arch himself with a lot of it. Guesting over the Clean Pocket podcast with NFL vet Colt McCoy, Sark was asked how much that spell as the starter helped Arch. He gave an elaborate explanation for the same.

“[It was] huge, man…He had to prepare for two weeks to be the starter. One of those weeks was our SEC opener against Mississippi State. This wasn’t just [any game]. ‘Hey, bud. This one, like, really counts!’ Man, I think we saw some really [great] things,” said Steve Sarkisian. He proceeded to detail these “things”, segregating them into 3 categories: Athleticism, an ability to throw deep, and leadership. “We saw athleticism that probably surprised a lot of people…thank God he got his grandpa’s athleticism! He can move,” remarked Sark. This weapon in Manning’s arsenal was the most commonly deployed one last year. Sarkisian used him to move the sticks and get first downs with his rushing ability on multiple occasions. The great Archie Manning’s genes really did permeate across. Sark then delved into the long-range passing and leadership facets.

“The deep [throw] in our system, and how important that is to take advantage of 1v1 opportunities was huge,” said Sarkisian. Arch Manning has been airing it downfield in spring camp as well. Although Matthew Golden won’t be part of Texas’ receiving corps. next season, Arch shall still have some deep threats to be at the end of them. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly too, Sark spoke about Manning’s leadership. As well as how it’s a different kind of leadership from that of Quinn Ewers. Sarkisian said, “This guy’s got a charismatic [persona]… he’s got something about him that guys gravitate to. That’s always a great thing to have as a quarterback, because it’s like a coach. I can know all the stuff I want to know, and I can lead. But you want the players to want to play for you, not in spite of you, despite you.”

“The man is talented. Nobody works harder. Nobody’s in the film room more,” added Sark. “I’m excited for him. You know, he’s been patient. How many people have come after him from other schools to transfer? Imagine. He stayed the course to stay true to his word. So we’re pumped about him.” These words of affirmation will really be music to the ears of Texas fans. That opening game, albeit in the lion’s cave against defending national champs Ohio State, can’t come sooner. Apart from talking about Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian also cleared his stance on NIL and how he’s a proponent of the evolution it’s brought about from UT’s perspective.

Steve Sarkisian fires shots at programs that may have been involved in some malpractice

“I think NIL has been good for the University of Texas. For a long time, NIL may have existed. Just not at the University of Texas. When they regulated it, and now that we’ve got a seat at the table to compete at that level for some of the high-level players, it’s been good to us. We try to maximize it to take advantage of it within the scope of the rules. I think we’ve benefitted from it.” said Steve Sarkisian to Colt McCoy. There’s a couple subliminal messages under the surface here.

The “NIL may have existed” line isn’t very subtle is it? Sarkisian is implying how schools used to illicitly pay recruits to choose them. Something he proclaims Texas never indulged in. Well, Sark was part of Nick Saban’s Alabama program in the past. Which has come under scrutiny for doing so. Is Sark sneak-dissing his previous employers turned SEC rivals? Maybe. But the blanket statement is still just as resounding.

The advent of NIL has made, in theory at least, the playing field more level. More fair. From the player’s side, Arch Manning is one of the biggest beneficiaries himself. He’s been reaping its rewards while still being a backup quarterback, which speaks to his stardom. Now, it’s time for that stardom to turn into success on the field. Steve Sarkisian’s comments signal he’s going to do just that.