Texas has a QB room fit for a playoff run. The names are big, the expectations even bigger. For the last few seasons, Quinn Ewers has been the face of the Longhorns’ offense. A gunslinger with hype, arm talent, and just enough grit to take Texas to the doorstep of college football greatness. But looming behind him has been one of the most high-profile backup quarterbacks in recent memory: Arch Manning.

You’ll agree that the noise was impossible to ignore last season. Every Quinn Ewers incompletion sparked Twitter debates. Every Arch Manning practice highlight generated commentary. Yet through it all, Steve Sarkisian did something radical in today’s win-now college football landscape — he did absolutely nothing. While fans screamed for changes and talking heads demanded Manning’s debut, Texas’ head coach maintained an almost stubborn loyalty to Ewers. And now, as Manning prepares to take the reins, we’re seeing the genius behind Sarkisian’s patience play out in real time.

On his show Adapt & Respond, RJ Young broke down Sarkisian’s mindset with clarity. “I think Sarkisian understands this better than anybody else. Your quarterback has to be your quarterback,” he said. “Lincoln Riley used to believe this. He would not take a guy off the field. He would have that guy going, ‘No, you’re my guy. Dig your way out.’” Sarkisian followed that same principle with Ewers. Sticking with him through interceptions, injuries, and inconsistency. While the outside world shouted for transformation, Sark gave Ewers the confidence to fail forward.

Now, that same trust is being passed on to Arch Manning. As Young put it, “When Sark says Quinn’s our guy [right now], wait, it’s going to be you [Arch]. You get to trust that. So when it is you, you ain’t got to look over your shoulder.” That doesn’t mean Manning is immune to criticism or competition. Being a Manning doesn’t give you a free pass. But being under Sark means something even more valuable: security. Security to grow, to mess up, and to figure it out without having the fear of being replaced every time things get shaky.

It’s a development-first philosophy that’s increasingly rare in college football. Sarkisian is here to win championships, but before that, he is building quarterbacks. He did it with Ewers. He’s preparing to do it with Manning. And if Texas reaches new heights under Arch in 2025, it won’t just be because of his last name. It’ll be because he was coached by someone who believed in patience over panic. That said, the early signs from Arch suggest that the wait might be worth it. But not everyone is sold on the idea that he is ready for the stage just yet.

Amid the hype, analysts cast doubt on Manning’s SEC takeover

Arch Manning’s 2024 snaps showed flashes of what made him college football’s most hyped recruit, but according to several analysts, the jump from flashes to SEC starter is a steep climb. And Manning hasn’t proved he’s there yet. ESPN’s Jordan Reid broke down what makes Manning intriguing but also flagged where he’s falling short.

“He has a well-put-together frame, allowing him to avoid defenders in the pocket and bounce off tacklers in open space as a runner. Manning has a picture-perfect base and smooth delivery as a passer. He doesn’t have much experience in that department, as Texas used him primarily as a runner in 2024, but his prototypical build and physical tools were apparent on tape and give him immense potential. He will be under the tutelage of one of the country’s best QB developers in Steve Sarkisian, but Manning’s lack of experience makes him more likely to be in the 2027 draft class at the earliest.”

There’s another downside: “He will need to improve his timing in getting through progressions and knowing when to move off his first read,” Reid continued. “He could also use his mobility much more on non-designed QB runs to help string together positive plays.”

JD PicKell echoed similar sentiments in a recent appearance, casting doubt on the idea that Manning has to be elite right away. “Like, there’s a lot around Arch Manning to where I don’t think he has to be awesome from the — you know, I shouldn’t say from the jump — because from the jump, you’ve got to be good enough to go to Columbus, Ohio. After Ohio State, you don’t have to be Superman. You just got to get progressively better every single week and be ready to roll by November,” said PicKell.

Manning saw action in 10 games last season, throwing for 939 yards with nine TDs and just 2 interceptions. Promising but not spectacular. As PicKell summed it up, “So still, there’s a lot of pressure on the guy for all those reasons we mentioned. Still a lot of pressure for him to eventually get to a college football playoff-caliber kind of quarterback, when you play for the college football playoff, when you get towards, you know, that first weekend in December and play for — hopefully for Texas fans — an SEC title.”

But now the challenge shifts from showing flashes to sustaining excellence. With Ewers gone, Arch’s time is now. The big question isn’t about talent (we know that’s there); it’s about whether he can bring that same icy focus week after week in the SEC meat grinder.