Arch Manning shares his frustration about being a backup at Texas

Texas Longhorn fans finally get to see Arch Manning start a whole season, which for him was a long time coming.

The five-star quarterback out of Louisiana had to wait his turn behind starter Quinn Ewers, who left for the NFL.

Manning admitted in a recent interview that it was frustrating at times being the backup.

“I played every year in high school. I don’t know if that’s a flex or not, we were 2A. Freshman year was tough. I didn’t deserve to play, but I wasn’t used to not playing. Paul Chryst (who was an offensive analyst at Texas) was on our staff. I would go in his office, we’d watch film. It was an hour of watching film and an hour of me venting. I’m always grateful for him and still keep in touch with him.”

Although it was tough at times watching Ewers play, he admits he learned a lot from him, and they had gotten close.

“I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tough. Obviously, the competitor in me always wants to play and be able to help my team out. Looking back, it has definitely helped me grow as a person and a player. I’m blessed for that.”

It had to be hard, however, to be a player of his caliber to sit out for a few years and learn something he probably feels he’s an expert at. Manning was able to come in mostly in blowout situations and prove what he could do.

He was impressive; now comes the real test: how he holds up against tougher SEC opponents, and can he handle the pressure of being the man? 

Being a quarterback in this league brings a lot of stress, but how he handles that stress may determine if the Longhorns can win a national championship.