Could Arch Manning Play vs. Texas A&M Aggies?

The ankle injury to Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers heightens the possibility that Arch Manning could see action at some point against the Texas A&M Aggies.

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warming up against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images / Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- Could Quinn Ewers’ ankle injury open up the possibility for Arch Manning to see game action at Kyle Field? 

That’s become one of the more interesting questions to consider headed into Saturday’s monstrous rivalry rematch between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies in College Station. Ewers suffered the ankle injury against Kentucky last week and remains in line to start, but ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Tuesday on SportsCenter that Ewers has been "rehabbing (the ankle) feverishly" to prepare for the game.

"I was told it's a low-grade ankle sprain for Quinn Ewers that is going to be lingering into that Texas A&M game," Thamel said on SportsCenter. "Sources told me today that Quinn Ewers is still slated to start for the Longhorns in College Station on Saturday night. I've been told he's rehabbing feverishly. ... So the reality for Quinn Ewers is that he won't be 100 percent on Saturday, but he's working to be the best version of himself."

This kind of word choice won’t exactly make Texas fans feel warm and fuzzy headed into Saturday and begs the question of how much pain Ewers is dealing with. Already not known as a mobile quarterback, Ewers could now be glued to the pocket in passing situations due to the ankle and will be at the mercy of Texas A&M's talented pass rush.

That’s where Manning's impact can be felt, but only in the event that Ewers' injury noticeably affects his performance. Ewers has proven experience in big games and should be on the field unless proven otherwise.

Still, inserting Manning into the game unexpectedly could have the Texas A&M defense on its toes, similar to what the Aggies did to LSU when Marcel Reed took over in the second half on Oct. 26. The two situations -- and quarterbacks -- are quite different from each other but Manning still offers plenty of dual-threat ability that will force the Aggies to adjust. He's also proven that he won't shy away from throwing the deep ball, even showing earlier in the year that he can be slightly more accurate than Ewers in that regard. Manning has gotten tons of valuable experience under this belt this season and can be trusted in the event that he has to take over the offense.

Fortunately for Ewers, Steve Sarkisian frequently draws up screens and quick-release passes that will allow the star quarterback to avoid pressure as much as possible. Ideally, the Longhorns won't want Manning to come into the game, as that would mean that either Texas is in a hole or Ewers aggravated the ankle. The Longhorns will want to build a big lead, lean on the run game and avoid drop-backs altogether while keeping Ewers in at quarterback. But of course, with the massive emotions that this game carries, it's impossible for Sarkisian and staff to truly predict how things will play out.

It's anyone's guess what will happen Saturday in College Station, but it wouldn't be too surprising if Manning takes a snap at some point during the game.

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