Given that Quinn Ewers is returning for the upcoming season, Arch Manning may have to wait for his moment at Texas.
After the Longhorns’ impressive season this year, I believe it’s safe to say that the Texas football team has returned after a protracted absence. But the real question is whether Texas is here to stay, or if after joining the SEC this season, they’ll sink back into the depths. This past season, the Longhorns finished 11-1 in the regular season, earning a trip to the Big 12 Championship game versus Oklahoma State. In addition to winning the Big 12 title and improving to 12-1, Texas easily defeated the Cowboys in that game to secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Texas supporters had been waiting a long time for this season, and at last it arrived. They now need to keep building on that momentum.
Obviously, Texas football’s College Football Playoff experience didn’t go as expected. In the Sugar Bowl, the Longhorns faced off against Washington; although it was an exciting game, the Huskies prevailed. Although the score was level at the half, the Huskies really began to exert pressure in the second half.
Texas looked hopeless in the closing minutes of the game, and it was evident the entire time, especially in the second half, that Washington was the superior team. But when a few clutch plays drastically altered the tide, the Longhorns had a chance to overcome a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
They had a chance to win it with a score when they went into the red zone, but the Washington defense came through with the stop to secure the victory. Despite being outplayed in that game, Texas was still in the running for a national championship after just one play. This team performed incredibly well this season.
Texas has returned, and they must remain there. There are a few positive things going their way in that aspect, but their conference schedule will also make things harder. The addition of 12 teams to the College Football Playoff is one development that will benefit Texas. In college football, every team wants to go to the College Football Playoffs. The 12 team system will make it much easier to accomplish that goal. A team’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs are enhanced for regular season losses of two or even three games. With conference realignment as well, it will be important for clubs in the Big Ten and SEC.
But the most significant development for Texas football this offseason is the return of quarterback Quinn Ewers, who will start the next season. This is really significant for the Longhorns. Football’s most important position is quarterback, thus it will be a luxury that they won’t have to break in a new QB due to their demanding schedule the next season.
Quinn Ewers is not only going to be among the best quarterbacks in college football next season, but they also won’t have to worry about breaking in a new quarterback. Though it raises questions about what Arch Manning should do, that is important for Texas.
Is Arch Manning a transfer candidate?
Not only is he one of the most attractive quarterbacks in college football, but he hasn’t even established himself as a starter. He will have to wait much longer to get into the starting quarterback role if he plays football at Texas next season. Eli and Peyton Manning, two former NFL quarterbacks, are Manning’s nephews. He entered high school as a five-star recruit, and when the time comes, everyone is expecting him to be a phenomenal quarterback. However, Manning’s career will have to endure one more year as a backup due to Ewers’ return to the Longhorns the following season. Many athletes of his quality would find that offensive.
The general consensus when Manning arrived in Texas was that he would enter the NFL following his junior year, which is the minimal amount of time he must remain in college. After finishing his freshman year, he will be two years away from that. If he doesn’t transfer to another university, he will only have one more year of playing experience before joining the NFL. That might provide a problem for Manning.
When it comes to D1 power five college football, even the greatest players require some time to adjust compared to high school football. Different sport, but as an illustration, consider Bronny James, a basketball player for USC. He’s a fantastic athlete, but making the transition from high school to college is challenging. The upshot is that there will likely be some growing pains for Manning when he does finally start for a collegiate football team. It would be preferable to work through those growing pains during a season that isn’t his final one as opposed to the one he will be entering immediately before the NFL Draft.
Even if Manning’s time with the Longhorns is presumably not going as planned, it appears like he does want to stay at Texas football, and it’s encouraging to see a player honor their pledge. Nobody would blame him, though, if he wanted to head somewhere where we could kick off this new season right away. We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.
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