The Texas Longhorns are eager to break their national championship drought, but the team faces a unique dilemma this season with two quarterbacks capable of starting: redshirt junior Quinn Ewers and redshirt freshman Arch Manning. While the presence of two strong quarterbacks is a strength, it also poses a challenge to the Longhorns’ hopes of a College Football Playoff berth. The ongoing debate over who should be the starting QB has intensified as Texas prepares to face the Clemson Tigers in the Playoff’s opening round. Texas, the fifth seed, is favored to win, but after a disappointing loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship, Manning—whose family boasts a Hall of Fame legacy—has been considered by some as the future face of the program.
Despite this, former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, who won a national title with the Crimson Tide in 2009, advised against rushing Manning into a starting role. Drawing a comparison to a scene from the 2004 film Mean Girls, McElroy argues that it’s too early to push Manning into the spotlight and that he should be allowed to develop at his own pace. The college football world knows Manning’s time will come, as Ewers is expected to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving the starting position open for Manning in 2025. In the meantime, Manning will have to play a backup role during the Playoff, contributing in short-yardage situations that leverage his speed, rather than being tasked with making big plays on the fly.
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