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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
With Quinn Ewers still recovering from an oblique injury, Arch Manning will make his first start for No. 1 Texas on Saturday night against UL Monroe, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
“Quinn has made great strides ever since Saturday night into where he’s gotten to,” Sarkisian said. “But my decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us. … And getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term, I think, is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play.”
The 6-4, 225-pound Manning, the top prospect in the Class of 2023, has appeared in four games for Texas, but had his breakout last week in a 56-7 win over UTSA after Ewers was injured.
Manning, who entered in the second quarter, accounted for five touchdowns. His 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo and his 67-yard touchdown run — the longest ever by a UT freshman — marked the first time in school history that a player recorded a run and throw of at least 65 yards in the same game. Only Colt McCoy and Vince Young had done it in the same season for Texas.
Sarkisian said Manning always prepares as if he could start, but it’ll be different operating the game plan from the opening series rather than just being thrown into the fire.
“Arch is more than capable, as I think we all know,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, you go out and you have five touchdowns coming in off the bench, you’ve already proved you can play. Now, it’s about executing the plan, doing it with confidence and fixing some of the issues on the field when they arise.”
Sarkisian said Ewers will be there to help Manning with any of those issues.
“Quinn will obviously have an earpiece in. He’ll hear every play call,” Sarkisian said. “Without question, his support of Arch is critical, and I don’t foresee anything different than that.”
Sarkisian said he impressed upon Ewers that resting a week doesn’t change anything. The Longhorns play their first SEC game on Sept. 28 against Mississippi State. After a bye week, they have back-to-back games against No. 15 Oklahoma in Dallas, and No. 2 Georgia in Austin.
Ewers is completing 73.4% of his passes this season, throwing for 691 yards and eight touchdowns, with two interceptions.
“All the goals he had and that we’ve had for him coming into this season are all still there for him,” Sarkisian said. “I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he’s the quarterback of that team. And I think we still have that in front of us to go do that.
“I think with some of the games that we have coming up down the road, this guy’s going to be in New York for the Heisman. And whether he wins it or not, he has the ability to do that, and I think he has the ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick.”
ULM’s defensive coordinator, Earnest Hill, raised eyebrows Wednesday when he referenced his team’s familiarity with Manning, a New Orleans native who attended Isisore Newman.
“We actually have some kids on our team who played against him in New Orleans, and a couple guys done beat him already,” Hill said. “So they don’t hold too much fear against him. They’re not gonna hold any fear against him coming up here.”
The Longhorns are 44.5-point favorites for Saturday’s game, according to ESPN BET.
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