Latest Manning QB Makes College Debut

Nephew and grandson of stars
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2023 10:05 AM CST
Latest Manning QB Makes College Debut
Texas quarterback Arch Manning runs the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech on Friday in Austin, Texas.   (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

The next generation of Manning quarterbacks has taken his first snap on a college football field. Arch Manning joined his Texas teammates late in the third quarter Friday night against Texas Tech in Austin, closing out the game, CNN reports. The top recruit of his class, Manning arrived with a record-breaking high school career behind him and a proper family background: His quarterbacking uncles Peyton and Eli won a total of four Super Bowls, and his grandfather, Archie, was a college and NFL star. His father, Cooper, played wide receiver for Mississippi. Texas fans had been looking forward to this moment, and he was welcomed loudly by the 102,452 at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, per CBS Sports.

"When Arch went in, I mean the crowd was buzzing," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said later, per ESPN. "We had to try to quiet the crowd." It wasn't an entirely smooth debut: Manning dropped a shotgun snap, leading to a 10-yard loss. He was 2 for 5 passing for 30 yards, and he rushed for seven yards. But, the Athletic notes, "he flashed his athleticism on his scrambles, showed he can throw on the run and displayed substantial velocity on his passes." Manning capped the 57-7 victory by leading a 91-yard touchdown drive, playing with other reserves, though it was mostly runs. The victory sends the Longhorns and their freshman quarterback to the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 2. (More college football stories.)

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