Texas Title Could Mean Pivot To Arch Manning As QB In 2024 With Quinn Ewers Going Pro

NEW ORLEANS - The Manning Family has two reasons to pull for No. 3 Texas to beat No. 2 Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Sugar Bowl Monday. And if Texas wins, then the next Monday in the national title game.

Texas back-up quarterback Arch Manning, the grandson of former Ole Miss great and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, would be the first national champion in the Manning clan. Archie sons Peyton and Eli each won multiple Super Bowls, but they won no national titles in college at Tennessee and Ole Miss, respectively.

Arch Manning throws against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 2 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Two Texas wins could also dramatically increase the chances of Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers leaving for the NFL early. That would pivot Arch into the starting spot entering spring practice.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers Has Not Decided About NFL Draft Yet

"Not yet," Ewers said when asked if he has decided if he will enter the NFL Draft next month during press conferences at the Sheraton Hotel here Friday morning. "Just trying to win a national championship."

Texas (12-1) is 2-point favorite to beat Washington (13-0) on Monday (8:45 p.m., ESPN). The winner will play for the national title on Jan. 8 in Houston. That will be against the winner of No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 4 Alabama (12-1). Those two meet in the other semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Monday (5 p.m., ESPN).

Asked what will weigh into his decision, Ewers said, "I have no idea. Just trying to win a national championship."

Ewers is a third-year sophomore and eligible to put his name into the NFL Draft by Jan. 15.

"I have not," Ewers said when asked the same question minutes later by another reporter. "I know the date's Jan. 16, or something like that. We'll see."

Quinn Ewers celebrates a Big 12 title win over Oklahoma State. (Photo by Chris Leduc/I Getty Images)

Ewers is projected to be a second- or third-round draft selection, though.

"I would have him as a top 100 pick," NFL Draft expert Mike Detillier of WWL Radio in New Orleans said Wednesday. "He's accurate. He's poised. Really works the short and medium areas very well. I would like to see him physically get stronger and read defenses quicker. There is still some improvement needed overall."

But winning a national championship for Texas would likely be the ultimate for Ewers. He was born in San Antonio and grew up in Southlake near Dallas. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 1 overall prospect coming out of Carroll High in 2021. Ewers originally went to Ohio State before transferring to Texas and becoming the starter in 2022. An injury against Alabama ended his season before he took the job back for the 2023 season.

"The highest stage for a college player in Texas is to play quarterback at Texas," Ewers said. "I grew up a Longhorn fan."

Texas Needs To Beat Washington To Reach Title Game

Ewers is nearing the threshold of becoming the first quarterback since Vince Young in the 2005 season to bring Texas a national title.

"It's awesome. It's unbelievable. It's what I dreamed of," he said.

Ewers' backup was the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by 247 Sports coming out of Newman High in New Orleans in 2023. Arch Manning completed 2 of 5 passes for 30 yards in two games of mop-up duty as the No. 3 quarterback. Backup Maalik Murphy hit 40 of 71 passes for 477 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven games. He recently transferred to Duke, leaving Manning in the No. 2 slot. Ewers is 248 of 351 for 3,161 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Quinn Ewers Praises Arch Manning

"Arch is a great kid," Ewers said. "It's cool to be in the same quarterback room as him. His family has a lot of history, especially in this state. He's grown a lot this year. You can just tell he wants to learn as much as he can. He's always asking questions. He understands the opportunity that he has. He's definitely not going to waste it."

Manning has gained valuable more practice time since the departure of Murphy.

"I think the biggest difference for him has been now he's gotten all of the reps with the twos," Texas offensive coordinator Kyle Flood said Friday. "Whereas, prior to that, he and Maalik had been kind of splitting reps. When you get into the season, you don't always have the opportunity to get everybody the amount of reps that you would like to. So I think that's the biggest change for him."

Flood has liked Manning's progress.

"We've got a ton of confidence in Arch," he said. "I think his progression throughout the year has been excellent. He's a real student of the game. And he's approached it like that from the very beginning. So I think probably the best thing for him and for us as a team was that when that happened. It was
very easy for him to just continue to do what he was doing, because he had never approached it like he was the third quarterback or the backup quarterback. He approaches everything like he's the starting quarterback. And I think that's the key when you're in a reserve role of being ready."

Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell sees no ceiling for the 6-foot-4 Manning.

"He'll be as good as he wants to be," he said Friday. "There is really no limit on his talent. It's all about how good he wants to be."

It Will Be Arch Manning's First Test, If Starter Gets Hurt

Should Quinn Ewers get hurt as he did against Alabama or as Texas starting quarterback Colt McCoy did in the national championship loss to Alabama on Jan. 7, 2019, Manning will have to take over.

"It would take him a little bit to settle down with so much pressure on him," Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders said of the possibility. "So much would be on the line, and it would be his first real game. But as a team, we would implement confidence in him. 'We got you. We got you.' He'll come around. I know he'll be a great quarterback."

When that happens remains to be seen.

"For one, he's got the Manning blood in him," Sanders said. "He works at it. He's not one of the big heads who thinks the world revolves around him."

For Arch Manning, though, the world will be revolving around him, sooner or later.