Arch Manning dominated the Texas Longhorns' spring game but remains a backup

Anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of Arch Manning in 2024 would have been wise to tune in to the Texas Longhorns spring game on Saturday. A few months into his sophomore year, Manning is expected to begin the season on the bench behind incumbent starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. So you'll have to make do with the Texas-on-Texas highlights, which, to be fair, were pretty cool.

With Ewers only playing two series, Manning was given a chance to star, and he responded by lighting up the Orange defense. His first throw of the game was a 75-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. According to ESPN, he finished the game with 355 yards and three touchdowns on 19 of 26 pass attempts. You can see the full highlights here.

It's everything you've ever dreamed of, isn't it? The third generation of the Manning family is having a blast. Sure, he's still the replacement, but good things come to those who wait. Last year's second-string quarterback, Maalik Murphy, transferred to Duke. Now Manning is second. If Ewers struggles, Manning will get a chance. If Ewers doesn't do it, Manning will wait another year and maybe Ewers will go to the NFL. Or maybe Arch is considering going somewhere else.

Listen, don't shoot the messenger. This is what all coaches hate and it happens all the time now, so it seems ridiculous not to consider this possibility in the current era. But who knows what the Manning family's master plan is for Arch.

He was one of the top recruits in his class and barely got on the field as a freshman, but the Longhorns won 12 games and made the College Football Playoff, so it's hard to question Steve Sarkisian. A decent, healthy season could be all he needs and what his family wants from his college experience. If they're willing to wait, everyone else will have no choice but to survive on his spring game leftovers.