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Eduardo Razo is a sports writer based in Los Angeles, California who covers college football along with the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He has worked as a freelance writer for The Sporting News and has previously covered teams for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports.
Contributing Sports Writer
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Arch Manning will have his first major as the Texas Longhorns’ starting quarterback right out of the gate in Week 1 as the program travels to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. It will be the nation’s first glimpse of Manning in a big game situation as the leader under center.
While there could be an urge to pull out everything in his arsenal to get Texas a win, ESPN’s Chris Fowler had a simple message for the 21-year-old.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Fowler noted that he doesn’t need to put the entire Texas offense on his back for them to leave Columbus with a win.
“I think he’s really well-grounded,” Fowler said. “I think he’s got good role models in the family; he was raised right. He’s got a very smart coach. What [Steve] Sarkisian says sounds like coach-speak, but it’s actually very smart.
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“He’s got a really good team around him. He’s got maybe the best defense in the country. Don’t go to Columbus and try to be Superman. He’s capable. He’s going to have to make plays in big games. He can do so with a deep ball and with the legs, but just chill—ease your way in.”
Fowler continued emphasizing that Manning needs to trust those around him to make plays. Moreover, he points at that many will be tuning into this contest to see whether the Texas signal-caller will be able to live up to the hype around him.
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“He played four snaps in a playoff game, and most of them were quarterback runs,” Fowler added. “But in practice, trust me, he throws the ball beautifully. He’s surrounded by a good cast of playmakers. He’s got Sarkisian calling the plays. And again, he’s got that defense…
“Everybody in the world cares about Arch Manning. But in research, it shows, it’s not even close. Every other player in college football pales compared to the want-to-see hype.”
For more on college football, head to Newsweek Sports.