Arch Manning Returns to Practice amid Concussion, Texas QB's Status vs. Vanderbilt TBD

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters that quarterback Arch Manning returned to practice on Wednesday, though he remains in the concussion protocol.

That leaves his status for Saturday's matchup against No. 9 Vanderbilt up in the air, with the Longhorns to submit an availability report later on Wednesday evening.

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said the team would be ready to face either Manning or backup Matthew Caldwell.

"I have competed against Sark enough to know this is a team of an offensive system, and so there are elements and parts of the system that we're going to focus on in developing a plan to contain them and defend them," he told reporters. "There's a lot of talented skill on the perimeter that's going to be a factor no matter who's the quarterback. And there are certain little nuances between the two quarterbacks that we want to make sure we have plans for and we're prepared for. But in the end, I think this is about defending an offense, an offensive system and a really, really talented group of players."

Manning's first season as the full-time starter has had major peaks and valleys. In total, he's thrown for 1,795 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 60.9 percent of his passes and taking 18 sacks.

On paper those numbers don't look bad, but Manning looked a bit lost in the team's two losses this season, throwing for three interceptions in those games and taking seven sacks. Given that Texas opened the season as the top-ranked team in the country and Manning was the early favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, his rough start drew plenty of scrutiny and critique.

Time will tell if Manning continues to develop into the superstar he's long been expected to be, or if those projections were extremely premature. Saturday's matchup against Vanderbilt would have been another interesting litmus test, though his status for that game remains up in the air.