Texas vs. Vanderbilt. One of the most anticipated SEC games to watch this weekend. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns suffered their first season defeat in the hands of Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs in Week 8 with Quinn Ewers as the starter. Can he still get another chance with Arch Manning waiting in line? What’s the best QB plan for Texas? Let’s hear it from an expert.

CFB analyst RJ Young gave his take on the QB situation in Texas in a new YouTube episode on The Number One College Football Show on October 24. He said that one reason for the fall to Georgia is because Texas couldn’t move the football. Young argued, “One of the reasons they can’t move the football is Quinn Ewers stuck in the mud back there. You can make an argument to me that Arch Manning is as talented as a deep football thrower as Quinn Ewers but you will not make an argument to me that Arch Manning isn’t the more athletic quarterback of the two.”

Still, the last game proved that Kirby Smart has some of the best defensive players, like Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker. Even when Sarkisian benched Ewers to give Manning a chance to turn the game around, the 19-year-old couldn’t make the magic happen. He completed 3 of 9 passes for 19 yards before giving the starting nod back to Ewers in the second half. Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Texas’ plight in the last game is understandable as they were facing one of the best CFB teams in the nation. But the upcoming game against Vanderbilt is not a walk in the park either. 

This season, Vanderbilt has proven that anything is possible. Remember when Nick Saban said that Vandy was the easiest to beat in the SEC ahead of their clash with Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama in Week 6? Led by QB Diego Pavia, the Commodores pulled one of the biggest upsets in college football by defeating the then No. 1 Alabama as a double-digit point underdog. Do the Longhorns QBs have it in them to pull off what Alabama QB Jalen Milroe couldn’t? Who will be starting the Vanderbilt game?

Quinn Ewers will start at Vanderbilt clash 

Despite the mess last week, Steve Sarkisian firmly stands on the fact that Quinn Ewers will be the starting QB in the next game no matter what. When he benched Ewers last week, fans were speculative that Arch Manning would get the starting nod against Vanderbilt. But the HC’s intention was to give time to let the QB pull himself together after a grim beginning. He asserted, “Quinn’s our starting quarterback. I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate enough to have a backup like Arch that could come into the game and provide a spark, but at the end of the day, Quinn’s our starter.”

Still, Vanderbilt HC Clark Lea is wary of the possibility that Texas could play both their QBs in the upcoming SEC game. He said, “Both quarterbacks have played, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see both. They got injury history there and you just never know.” It’s fair to give Ewers the chance in his last season of college football. After all, he’ll be entering the 2025 NFL Draft and Arch Manning can have all the spotlight next season. What are your thoughts?