Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning to Start Game in 2024 According to CFB Analyst’s Bold Statement

The Texas Longhorns have managed to keep star quarterback Arch Manning on the roster for another year despite the expectation that he will once again be backing up fellow star quarterback Quinn Ewers.

In an era where players are often quick to leave programs via the transfer portal for instant playing time, Manning has stuck with the Longhorns, who were a play away from making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2023.

NIL could be a large part of the reason Arch Manning is staying with the Texas Longhorns

Despite backing up Ewers, Manning has an NIL valuation that is significantly more substantial. According to On3, Manning’s NIL valuation is around $2.8 million while Ewers’ NIL valuation is around $1.9 million. Manning and Ewers rank third and fifth in NIL valuation in the entire nation, respectively.

Manning, who only has a lower NIL valuation than Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders and social media star Livvy Dunne, will still have time to prove himself to the NFL while potentially making more than some NFL quarterbacks while sitting on the bench for the Longhorns.

Ewers, a redshirt junior from the class of 2021, had a chance to go to the NFL after last season but decided to return for another year. It is highly unlikely that he will remain with the Longhorns for another season, allowing Manning to become the full-time starter in 2025. Manning himself explained that he likes his current situation.

Send this to anyone who’s told you Arch Manning is transferring. Hook’em! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/XJfvwwMsu2

— OnTexasFootball (@ontexasfootball) June 30, 2024

CFB Analyst thinks Arch Manning will start a game for the Texas Longhorns in 2024

While Manning is still the backup for Ewers, college football analyst Andy Staples thinks he will end up starting a game for the Longhorns at some point in 2024.

Staples cites Ewers’ injury history in an article from The Spun as the reason he thinks Manning will end up seeing the field a bit more in 2024.

“This one I would prefer not to come true because I do not wish ill on any player,” Staples said, via On3. “I certainly don’t want Quinn Ewers to get hurt. But the reality is Quinn Ewers missed three games to injury in 2022. He missed two games to injury in 2023.”

Last year when Ewers missed time, now-transferred quarterback Maalik Murphy stepped in for the Longhorns. He led them to a 33-30 victory in an overtime thriller against the Kansas State Wildcats as well as an easy 35-6 win over the BYU Cougars. Murphy did more than enough to help the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoff with just under 500 yards passing, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers has had injury issues in the past

While it might be a stretch to define Ewers as an “injury-prone” quarterback, he has missed time in each of the two seasons he has been the starter.

Ewers and the Longhorns seemed to be on track to beat the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the second game of the season in 202, but an Ewers injury prevented them from stealing an early win over the Crimson Tide and now-retired legendary head coach Nick Saban.

Ewers was forced to miss three-and-a-half games that season. While that may not seem like much, it ends up being a quarter of a season which becomes significant with the small amount of room for error present in any given college football season.

Ewers missed two games in 2023 after suffering an injury against the Houston Cougars. While these aren’t season-ending injuries, they are enough that Manning could end up starting a few games.

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