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Could Arch Manning play for Texas football Saturday? What would that mean for his future?

thomas jones, austin american-statesman
·2 min read
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Could Texas fans see Arch Manning play quarterback Saturday against BYU?

Maybe, but it won’t likely be as the Longhorn’ starter.

Maalik Murphy, a redshirt freshman from California, will likely start Saturday, according to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. The coach said both Murphy and Manning will practice with the first team this week after starter Quinn Ewers suffered a sprained right shoulder in Saturday’s 31-24 win over Houston. Ewers is “week to week,” according to Sarkisian, but is expected to return this season.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning warms up ahead of the game against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 7 in Dallas. Manning could see action this weekend against BYU, even though Maalik Murphy is the expected starter in the absence in injured quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning warms up ahead of the game against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 7 in Dallas. Manning could see action this weekend against BYU, even though Maalik Murphy is the expected starter in the absence in injured quarterback Quinn Ewers.

More: Golden: Why Sarkisian won't allow Maalik Murphy to fail against BYU

Murphy has served as Ewers’ backup all season and entered the win over Houston in the fourth quarter when Ewers couldn’t return to the game.

"Not every school is as fortunate as we are to have a quarterbacks room like we have," Sarkisian said.

Is Arch Manning a redshirt freshman?

If Manning does play Saturday, that won’t immediately affect his redshirt status for the Texas football team. Players are allowed four years of eligibility in a five-year span, although various exemptions could extend that window of playing time. In addition, players can appear in up to four games in a single season without that season counting toward a full year of eligibility.

More: What one word describes Steve Sarkisian as a BYU quarterback? We asked his old teammates.

Manning has yet to play in a game this season. Texas has five more games left in the regular season in addition to a possible appearance in the Big 12 title game and a bowl game. Texas earned bowl eligibility with its win over Houston, but bowl games do not count toward the four-game redshirt rule.

The top-rated quarterback recruit in the nation for his 2023 high school football class, the 6-foot-4-inch, 212-pound Manning is the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of Archie Manning, a former NFL quarterback and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Arch Manning was the highest-rated recruit to sign with Texas out of high school since Vincent Young in 2001.

More: Arch Manning flexes on uncles Peyton, Eli as Texas QBs show off physiques

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Could Arch Manning play for Texas football Saturday against BYU?