The Texas Longhorns are dealing with a bit of a backup quarterback conundrum heading into the College Football Playoff, but all it has done is open the doors to true freshman Arch Manning becoming the starter in the not-too-distant future.
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Prior to the start of the Playoff, ESPN's Pete Thamel tweeted that Longhorns backup quarterback Maalik Murphy would be entering the transfer portal, and therefore would be unable to join the team for the final stretch to a potential national championship.
Maalik Murphy told ESPN he’s not going to be with the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff. He would have preferred to stay through the season, but the timing did not allow it. Murphy told ESPN: “It’s nothing against Texas at all. I’m doing this purely for me and my future.…
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 13, 2023
"It's nothing against Texas at all," Murphy said. "I'm doing this purely for me and my future. In my eyes, I'll always be a Longhorn and a part of this great team."
With this move, Manning will now be the go-to backup behind Quinn Ewers for the team's semifinal game against Washington. A recent 5-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the country in the 2023 class, Manning has spent the entire season competing for backup reps with Murphy, who will now be looking for opportunities with another program.
However, this doesn't mean that Manning is guaranteed to be the Texas starter in 2024. Reports from November suggested that Ewers could be leaning towards returning to Austin next season, leaving Manning on the sideline for at least another season. Despite these rumors, Manning has reportedly had no interest in entering the transfer portal, preferring to say put with the Longhorns.
The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch saw the field in a very limited capacity this season as a true freshman. He attempted just five passes in a blowout win over Texas Tech, completing two of them for 30 yards.
Now, Manning will continue learning behind Ewers as the team tries to make a run at a national title. If Ewers ends up going down to injury again, it could lead to one of the biggest storylines in college football history if Manning could come in and lead his team to victory.
