Arch Manning to Make First Career Start for Texas Longhorns on Saturday

AUSTIN, TX — Highly touted quarterback Arch Manning will make his first career start Saturday for the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns in Austin against Louisiana-Monroe.

Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian made the announcement to the media Thursday.

Starting QB Quinn Ewers injured his oblique in the Longhorns’ win last week, and Sarkisian said he wanted to give Ewers an extra week of rest before their SEC opener Sept. 28 at home against Mississippi State.

After Ewers left last week’s game against UTSA in the second quarter, Manning stepped in and was electrifying in leading a 56-7 rout.

He was 9-of-12 passing for 223 yards and four TDs, and he had a 67-yard TD run that was the longest by a Texas QB since Vince Young.

With Georgia struggling to a 13-12 win over Kentucky the same day, Texas leapfrogged the Bulldogs to take over the No. 1 spot in the national rankings.

Arch is the nephew of NFL Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning, and the grandson of former NFL QB Archie Manning. Arch’s father, Cooper, played college football at Ole Miss.