(Photo Credit: Bethany Hocker, USA TODAY Sports)
Spring practice has begun and the Ewers vs. Manning battle at quarterback is heating up in Texas. With a roster boasting top-tier QB recruits in sophomore Quinn Ewers and freshman Arch Manning, the University of Texas Longhorns are set to host the most high profile battle for quarterback this season. With Ewers coming off a big season in 2022 and Manning being one of the most high profile recruits maybe ever, head coach Steve Sarkisian has a lot of talent on the roster-and at least one tough decision to make.
Quinn Ewers (3) and Arch Manning (16) will compete for the starting spot at quarterback for the Longhorns. Photo Credit: Aaron E. Martinez, American Statesman (via www.usatoday.com)
Ewers vs. Manning: Competing For Quarterback
This week Sarkisian said, “I’m not worried about who’s going to be on the cover of what magazine next week. I’m more focused on, is each guy focusing on what they need to do to develop to be the best player they can be?”
Not only does Sarkisian have two of college football’s biggest names as contenders for the starting spot at quarterback, he’s got a great deal of talent to go with them. Ewers transferred to Texas from Ohio State last season. He started ten games and threw for 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns, and was named the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He’s got a full year of experience under his belt, which could work to his advantage in the pre-season showdown that is Ewers vs. Manning. Ewers isn’t without his struggles, though, as Sarkisian himself has said the passing game needs improvement this season.
Sophomore Quinn Ewers transferred from Ohio State to play quarterback for the Longhorns last season. Photo Credit: Peter Aiken, Getty Images (via www.fanbuzz.com)
Ewers vs. Manning: Leaders In The Making?
Ewers drew further attention to himself on social media in the offseason when he cut his mullet, leading many to assume his new appearance equates to a greater degree of seriousness when it comes to the game. “It’s never been a question of him taking this serious. He wants to be really good. He wants to be a leader on this team. He wants to win a championship with these guys,” Sarkisian said, adding that Ewers has become a more vocal presence on the team during the offseason and that he is working to show Manning the ropes.
For Manning’s part, obviously there are no college statistics to compare to Ewers yet. But, he was one of the most highly sought after recruits in history and one of the top ranked players in the nation during his high school career. And though there are no official college stats to report, Manning has, similarly to Ewers, drawn attention to himself on social media without necessarily intending to by losing his student ID (twice). And like Ewers, Manning is on campus ready to be the best player he can be.
Freshman Arch Manning will compete with sophomore Quinn Ewers for the starting spot at quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. Photo Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports (via www.gazettetimes.com)
“For Arch today, Day 1, there’s some plays for sure that he would love to have back. There’s some other plays that he made where I think everybody was like, ‘Wow, that was a heck of a play.’ But he brings a worker’s mentality and he wants to be really good at this game,” Sarkisian remarked after the first day of spring practice.
In the Ewers vs. Manning battle at quarterback, it sounds like there’s a lot to look forward to for fans. For Sarkisian, it sounds like there are some hard decisions to be made. Either way, the Longhorns aren’t lacking in talent or commitment and should prove to be a consistent threat for the Big 12-and, perhaps, beyond.
