ESPN analyst makes strong statement about relationship between Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers after observing duo up close
The relationship between Texas Longhorns quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning has been a popular subject during the early portion of the 2024 college football season. Ewers entered the season as the Longhorns' starting quarterback with Manning, who is perhaps the most well-known player in the sport, as the primary backup. Manning, however, has started […]
The relationship between Texas Longhorns quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning has been a popular subject during the early portion of the 2024 college football season.
Ewers entered the season as the Longhorns' starting quarterback with Manning, who is perhaps the most well-known player in the sport, as the primary backup.
Manning, however, has started the last two games for Texas due to an injury that sidelined Ewers.
And Manning looked fantastic in those two starts, passing for a combined 583 yards and four touchdowns in wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Manning also had a rushing touchdown against the Bulldogs.
With Ewers set to return when Texas takes on Oklahoma on October 12 (the Longhorns are off this weekend), it's natural to wonder if there's any animosity between the two talented quarterbacks. Both players have said all the right things publicly, but it's still fair to question what their relationship is really like behind the scenes.
ESPN's Alyssa Lang was able to see the relationship between the two quarterbacks up close recently while serving as the sideline reporter during the Longhorns' win against Mississippi State.
And she came away impressed by the way Ewers and Manning support each other.
"Everyone's been talking about this relationship between Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers," said Lang on Out of Pocket. "How strong it is, how supportive they are of each other. And I'm sitting here going, 'ok, I remember how I was at 19, 20 years old as a competitor knowing someone's breathing down my neck trying to win a job, I want to see this up close and personal'. And it really was incredible to listen to the way they talk about each other, the way that Sark (Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian) talks about their relationship. Watching Quinn Ewers on the sidelines, not only cheering for Arch and being there supporting him, wearing the headset, talking to him, coaching him up throughout the course of the game as well.
"On the other side, listening to the way Arch talked about some of those struggles that he had in his first start two weeks ago, that early interception, and how he was able to flush it from his mind so quickly. He credited so much of it to watching Quinn Ewers do it throughout his career. So I'm all in on this relationship. And I think it says a lot about both of these players, the way that they've gone about this."
The positive relationship between Ewers and Manning is refreshing to see. All too often those kinds of situations turn sour, which in turn can negatively impact the entire team.
Ultimately, the only way a program is going to have success is if everyone is completely bought-in to the head coach's vision and to each other. Everyone has to put the team first if a team is going to truly compete for a national championship.
That's clearly the case in Austin. And it's one of the main reasons why Texas is a top national championship contender in 2024.
