The Arch Manning era is officially underway in Austin, Texas. While Manning, the nephew of legendary NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, was on the Texas Longhorns’ roster in each of the last two seasons, he primarily served as the backup to Quinn Ewers.
Now that Ewers has declared for the NFL draft, it’s Manning’s turn to step into the spotlight full-time, after electrifying defenses in a handful of stars last year while Ewers dealt with injury.
Now, Manning is sending a clear message on how he feels about finally being the starter.
“It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age,” Manning said, according to The Athletic. “Sometimes it’s worth the wait. But I hope it pays off. There’s nowhere else I want to be. I want to be at Texas. I’ve got friends here. I love this place. So, I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas.”
Fans reacted to Manning’s words on social media.
“I can’t wait to see him either. An I’m glad he was patient,” one Texas fan wrote on Twitter.
“Of course he’s pretty secure from his family and all but he’s handled all of this with some grace and patience! Hence teams will take some Ls this year just for a chance to have this generational qb to lead their franchise into the promise land kudos,” another fan added.
“As long as he gets paid well I am sure he is happy to be where he is,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Manning can bring a title back to Austin.