6 hours Ago By Jamie Gordon
Arch Manning proved he can continue his family's legacy in a stunning breakout game. The Texas Longhorns quarterback comes from a long line of star signal callers, boasting two Super Bowl-winning uncles in Eli and Peyton . Starter Quinn Ewers - a potential No1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft - left the 56-7 demolition of the UTSA Roadrunners early with injury.
Freshman Manning , 19, stepped up in style, completing nine of 12 for 223 yards and four touchdowns. But it was another aspect of his game that showed he could light up the NFL in a way his uncles could never dream of. Peyton and Eli were both pocket passers - as was grandfather Archie who played for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Oilers and the Minnesota Vikings - all preferring to sit back and throw darts.
But Arch stunned fans by showing off his unheralded rushing ability with an incredible 67-yard dash for a score. He hit 20.7 miles per hour - faster than Miami Dolphins speedster Tyreek Hill has managed in a game this season.
“Mannings aren’t supposed to move like this,” impressed NFL insider Adam Schefter said on X. Arch's granddad Archie was a two-time Pro Bowler at quarterback and dad Cooper played as a wide receiver in college before injury derailed his dream. The hype surrounding the prospect has given Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian a huge dilemma over whether to bench Ewers, 21, when he is fully fit.
Manning has been handed the start in Saturday's game against the Louisiana-Monroe Warthogs. "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 is good for us as we're getting ready for SEC play." The Longhorns' next game against a ranked opponent is against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, October 12. And Sarkisian has seen enough from Manning to be excited about his potential.
“There were some learning curves in there, a couple things to learn from, but at the end of the day, I thought he played at a high level,” he said. Despite their pedigree, no Manning has ever won the Heisman Trophy. But NFL analyst Paul Finebaum thinks that is about to change.
“Book it. Arch Manning is going to win the Heisman," he told Sportscenter. "I am in on that.
His granddad and Peyton probably should have won it and Arch will. "I don’t know if he’ll win it this year, but Arch Manning will definitely win the Heisman at Texas.” Watch Episode 2 of our brand new show 'Run Down' on talkSPORT's NFL channel.
