Texas Undecided on Arch Manning or Quinn Ewers as QB1 vs. MSU, Steve Sarkisian Says

The starting quarterback for No. 1 Texas is still undecided heading into a matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday.

"We're going to decide on the quarterback thing tomorrow," Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Thursday, per ESPN's Dave Wilson. "It won't be a secret. We're not trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes. Just want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he's ready to play and what he looks like."

Quinn Ewers opened the season under center, but he missed Texas' 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe due to an oblique strain. Arch Manning started in his place, helping the Longhorns remain unbeaten through four games.

Manning finished 15-of-29 for 258 yards, throwing two touchdowns as well as two interceptions in his first start with the team.

Ewers suffered the oblique strain during the Longhorns' 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, exiting the contest in the second quarter. Manning replaced him and thrived, as the redshirt freshman racked up 223 passing yards and five total touchdowns to go along with a completion percentage of 75 percent.

Sarkisian told reporters on Monday that Ewers' availability against the Bulldogs will be determined by his performance in practice throughout the week.

"He's got to do enough to show me he can play," Sarkisian said, via Wilson. "Can he execute the game plan?"

After choosing to return for his third season in Texas, Ewers' 2024 campaign was off to a strong start before the injury. In three appearances, he completed 73.4 percent of his throws for 691 yards and eight touchdowns compared to just two interceptions.

The Longhorns will have some time off following their first SEC contest against Mississippi State, as they have a bye week before returning to face No. 21 Oklahoma on Oct. 12. If Ewers isn't able to suit up against the Bulldogs, the extra rest should give him enough time to recover ahead of a tough matchup with the Sooners.