As the Longhorns offense has been hard to stop, Banks has been at the center of their success
During the 2024 campaign, Longhorns offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been one of the best players at his position. The Summer Creek High School product is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by many mock drafts, and his value is only rising. On Wednesday, PFF College graded Banks as the best pass blocker in the nation.
As the Longhorns offense has been hard to stop, Banks has been at the center of their success. The talented junior has been a model of consistency since making his Longhorns debut three years ago. He has appeared in 34 games and helped put Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning in a position to succeed.
Additionally, Banks has continued to add to his trophy case this year. The Longhorns star has been named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice and the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week once. His excellent play was reflected in his 91.4 rating from PFF.
Over the next few weeks, the Longhorns will need Banks at his best. One of the reasons they have been one of the best teams in the country is the offense. With Banks opening up space for his teammates, Texas has only lost one game and put points on the board in a hurry. As a result they are poised to make a deep playoff run.
With wins at a premium, Banks should continue to see national recognition, which could push his rating even higher. That would come as no surprise for the Longhorns, as Banks has already proven he is one of the best at his position.
With 4:43 left in the second quarter, the offense was flat. There was no life. The five Longhorns possessions ended punt, punt, fumble, punt and interception
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs already had 20 on the board.
There are only so many buttons a coach can push to change momentum. One of them is to change quarterbacks. Sark has a very capable backup QB. He pulled Ewers and inserted Arch Manning.
Immediately, experts from around college football started to question the move. They started to psychoanalyze Ewers. They started to talk about the future impact.
All valid questions. It didn’t help that Sark’s move seemingly backfired. Manning fared no better leading the offense to a punt and fumble.
“Coach Sark has come out and said that [Ewers] is his guy, he’s our starter, so at no point throughout would I ever think I would see him have to go to the bench. I thought this was a really weird decision. I don’t think it’s a situation where you have to go to the sideline and look at something or anything like that. Maybe [Texas] were trying to get a little bit of a spark going, but it didn’t really come to fruition the way they wanted it to.” — Johnny Manziel
It’s hard to imagine any quarterback advocating for a starter to be pulled. But the move might have worked better than the national media is giving Sark credit for. At least in the second half.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns walks off the field after being defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs 30-15 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Ewers came out of the locker room looking more confident. He played better. His throws were better. The junior was 3 of 5 on the next drive, which ended in a Ewers TD pass to Isaiah Bond for Texas’ first score of the game. Ewers hit Bond again on the 2-point conversion.
UT then went on a bit of a run to cut the lead to 23-15. Ultimately, Texas and Ewers couldn’t complete the comeback. But you can’t rule out that Ewers two series on the bench may have contributed to his hot start in the second half.
The long term impact of the move is being much discussed across the nation. ESPN’s Greg McElroy had some harsh words about the move.
“So when your backup quarterback has rock star status, you just can’t make that move there. Now Pandora’s box has been opened, because Steve Sarkisian showed that he is not afraid to replace Quinn Ewers in favor of Arch Manning in the event in which Quinn Ewers struggles. So the only way you could have pulled the plug on Ewers is if Arch is going to be your guy moving forward.” — Greg McElroy
It’s an interesting point. McElroy is suggesting the move could harm Ewers’ psyche, partly because the backup is famous. Sark has stated, before and after the game, that Ewers is his starting QB. I don’t think anyone on the team questions that.
Could the move harm Ewers mentally? Maybe. But if Ewers is the guy that’s going to lead Texas to the playoff and a chance at the national title, his mental makeup better be stronger than to cave in for the season because he was benched for two series. Ewers has been through a lot in his college career. I don’t think the benching Saturday will have much of an impact.
The more pressing questions are: Why did Ewers have a bad game in the first place? Why did Ewers look lost? Why has Ewers not risen to his pre-injury level of confidence and performance?
The short answer is he’s still probably hurt on some level. If your abs hurt, they hurt on every throw. You just can’t put your entire core into a throw if the oblique injury is nagging.
In 2021, Georgia QB JT Daniels suffered the same injury in Week 2 and wasn’t cleared to play until mid-October. By then, Stetson Bennett had taken over and would lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles.
It you’re in pain every time you throw the ball, you will not have the same amount of confidence you have when you’re pain free. The biggest impact on Ewers mentality is most likely his health.
"As soon as Arch jogs on the field, if he has success, it's his job."@joelklatt shares his thoughts on the Texas QB changeup against Georgia and he doesn't think it's that serious, yet 🙌 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Jo3NEPJes6
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) October 21, 2024
McElroy mentions Manning’s “rock star status.” Should the fame and notoriety of the backup have any impact at all on who plays? Should Sark take the celebrity status of his backup and outside opinion into account when making the decision of which QB to play? McElroy thinks so.
“With who the backup is, and the celebrity status that he carries, I would have avoided that at all cost. That’s a problem because now, first series of the game, if Quinn Ewers starts a game one for three and they punt after a five-play drive stalls, you’re going to start hearing chants of Arch. You have to force your starting quarterback into feeling comfortable.” — Greg McElroy
Sark’s job is to win. A coach has to be aware of player mentality, but ultimately, this is big boy college football. This is a program where you have to win. It is a program you have to be aiming for the top. Sark might worry about feelings, but winning takes precedent.
Ewers is far from perfect. He is a really good college quarterback. There are only a handful of QBs that might be better. Does Ewers have what it takes to beat a top shelf defense? A top three of four defense? He never has.
I fear he doesn’t have enough arm strength or mobility to thrive against an elite SEC defense, or at the next level for that matter. Speed on the other side of the ball is his kryptonite.
It is obvious Manning’s tools are better. His arm strength has a much better chance against the speed of an elite SEC, or even NFL, defense. But his experience is lacking. We saw that on full display during his two series against Georgia.
No one knows Ewers and Manning as players better than Sark. Juggling the two personalities is and will be a challenge. But if you start hamstringing the coach based on outside perceptions and popularity, then you’re not doing everything you can to win. You’re not doing everything to be at the top of the sport.
Texas made a huge change at quarterback against Georgia.
This story has been updated.
No. 1 Texas fell behind to No. 5 Georgia early at home on Saturday night and decided to make a quarterback change before halftime.
The Longhorns opted to bench quarterback Quinn Ewers in the game’s second quarter. Ewers struggled in the first half against the Bulldogs’ defense, which sent quarterback Arch Manning into the game.
Ewers only had 17 yards of passing and an interception before he was pulled from the contest. Rather than keep Ewers in, Texas chose to give Manning a chance to lead the Longhorns back into the game.
At halftime, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian explained to ESPN’s Holly Rowe why he made the quarterback switch without reveling if he’d put Ewers back in.
Steve Sarkisian in his halftime interview with Holly Rowe on the QB change — “I wanted to settle Quinn down and give the offense a little bit of a spark with Arch.”
UGA football coach Kirby Smart likes what he has seen out of Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning this season
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart praised Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning ahead of the Georgia at Texas game.
Manning has started two games this season for Texas, but he served as the back up for Texas’s 34-3 win over the Oklahoma Sooners. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt freshman quarterback has completed nine touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Manning has passed for 901 yards and a QBR of 87.5.
“They’re both (Texas quarterbacks) really good. I’ll say this,” said Smart. “You watch the games that Arch (Manning) has played, he played really well. He did some really good things. I mean look at his numbers. He played and he comes out first couple plays against Mississippi State, ripping it and firing it in his first SEC play, and he played really good.”
However, Manning is not projected to start against Georgia.
“Quinn’s (Ewers) a great player, and they got a great quarterback situation because they’ve got two guys that both are capable of winning and playing well,” continued Smart.
Texas is expected to start quarterback Quinn Ewers, but if Ewers goes down, then there won’t be much of a drop off for the Longhorns. Manning offers a little more mobility than Ewers. Manning has 13 carries for 82 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Smart praised Ewers’ awareness and athleticism during his press conference on Monday. Smart notes that Ewers is quite similar to Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.
The Longhorns enter the latest installment of the Red Rivalry as the best team in the country due to a 5-0 start
After a week off, the Texas Longhorns are back in action on Saturday afternoon against SEC foe the Oklahoma Sooners. The Longhorns enter the latest installment of the Red Rivalry as the best team in the country due to a 5-0 start.
Quinn Ewers will be under center after missing the last two and a half games. In his absence, Arch Maning kept the offense rolling and recorded the first SEC win of his career.
While the Longhorns have been the talk of the college football world, Oklahoma has also been hard to beat. Through five games, the Sooners have posted a 4-1 record, averaging 297.8 yards per game. This should be another memorable game in a historic rivalry.
This weekend the Longhorns have the opportunity to make a statement in conference play. The Sooners will be a challenging team to beat and have a tough defense. However, they will be tasked with slowing down a Longhorns offense averaging 45 points per game.
Last year, the Longhorns’ only regular-season loss came against the Sooners, meaning they will be looking for revenge. Both teams have plenty to prove in a competitive conference that features nine ranked teams putting wins at a premium.
With Quinn Ewers back in action, the Longhorns offense should continue to roll thanks to a receiving core that features Ryan Wingo, Isaiah Bond, and Matthew Golden. If Oklahoma cannot stop the Longhorns passing attack, it could be a long afternoon.
Final Score: Texas 35, Oklahoma 17
Trey Luerssen’s Prediction:
This should be Texas’ year. Texas has the quarterback advantage. The advantage on offense. And despite the praise Oklahoma’s defense gets, I believe Texas has the advantage on that side of the ball too. Texas is the better team. But crazy things can happen in this game.
Last year, Texas suffered one single regular season loss. That’s right, it was the Sooners. The result was some very nervous moments when the four-team college football playoff participants were revealed, instead of a rubber stamp. A loss to the Sooners will mean less this season with the playoffs expanded to 12 teams. But that’s not something anything in burnt orange is thinking about.
Quinn Ewers, back from injury, will be the key. We should be able to tell early on in the game if he’s healed and mentally ready for the day. If he is, it’s hard to see a path for Oklahoma to win. They will need Texas turnovers, and Ewers has been more careful with the ball this year.
Oklahoma is going with redshirt freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. at QB. He definitely has speed that the Texas defense hasn’t encountered yet this year. Hawkins also throws a good deep ball. But OU’s line is suspect at best.
It’s hard to see Oklahoma winning this game unless Texas implodes. Based on what we’ve seen so far in 2024, that includes a win a the Big House and two and a half games with a backup QB, the Longhorns don’t resemble a team that beats itself.
The Kansas City Chiefs versus New Orleans Saints matchup in Week 5 will be featured as a “ManningCast” game on ESPN2, scheduled for 7:13 p.m. CT/8:13 p.m. ET. The guest list for this week’s broadcast group makes it worth watching. Peyton and Eli Manning will sit down with theeir father, Saints legend Archie Manning. He’s also the father of Cooper Manning and grandfather of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
Additionally, it will include legendary former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and actor Paul Rudd, a Chiefs superfan and the narrator of the 2007 season of “Hard Knocks,” which featured the Chiefs as well.
Having this group together will be an interesting dynamic, as Eli Manning will be able to talk with Belichick about the two Super Bowl victories he had against him. The Manning family will primarily be together on broadcast, and we can get perspective from Rudd about the Chiefs and his fandom as well. The “ManningCast” always has some fun broadcast groups and guests, but this one will be a fun one no doubt.
Arch Manning’s dad Cooper is happy with son’s playing time mainly as a prep for next year’s huge season opener at Ohio State.
Arch Manning’s run as the Texas Longhorns starting quarterback is coming to an end … for now. Manning started the past two games for the Horns in place of the injured Quinn Ewers.
But with Ewers on track to start Red River against the Oklahoma Sooners, Manning will return to his role as backup quarterback. Manning received 10 full quarters under center and gained valuable experience doing so. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has talked about the learning process.
“Hey, learning lessons, right? To think he’d come out and play a perfect game, I don’t think anyone in here thought that. I thought he was going to prepare really well. Work really hard. Do everything he could to play good football. He was going to have some lessons learned and I think that’s what tonight was about.” — Steve Sarkisian after ULM game
“I coached him hard today in-game. We’re always going to continue to push these guys to try to be the best. And I thought there were some things in today’s game that Arch did really, really well. But, I was proud of him. I thought he really responded coming off of last week’s game. And what a luxury, to have a player of his caliber as our backup quarterback.” — Steve Sarkisian after Mississippi State game
One person undoubtedly proud is Arch’s dad Cooper. But not just for what Arch accomplished on the field in those 2 1/2 games this season. Cooper, the son or Archie and brother to both Peyton and Eli, is looking toward next season’s opener. He explains on Golf’s Subpar.
“Selfishly I kind of look ahead to next year. Texas goes… in their opening game they go to Ohio State, in the opening game. So selfishly, I’m glad that he had a few snaps and knows like what it is to start and play a little bit. Because going into Columbus for your first start of your life would probably not be the ideal opener, so I’m glad he has a little gray hair there.” — Cooper Manning
Cooper went on to discuss why Arch chose Texas in the first place.
“When Arch committed to Texas, they were coming off a 5 and 7 season. I think a big reason why he liked Texas is they have a great history and had a new coach coming. Kind of a new program feel and knew they had the potential to be great. The idea of being a part of something and growing it. He love the way Sark runs a program and play calling. And also, not having to come in there and be ‘the guy.’ Go ahead and learn, get better so when your number is called you’re ready to go in there and perform and play well.” — Cooper Manning
While we’re not sure how Manning will perform against elite teams such as Georgia, Alabama or Tennessee, we received a good taste of how he plays. Certainly, against the level of competition he faced, Manning has played well.
There’s been a few hiccups here and there, but Manning showed he can handle himself just fine. We’ve also seen that for 2024, a healthy Quinn Ewers is the best option if Texas hopes to go deep in the college football playoff and win a national title.
However, there are some things Manning does better than Ewers. Manning is certainly a better runner. And Manning seems to throw a better deep ball. Arch also seems more willing to throw the deep ball. Manning has three touchdown passes for more than 50 yards in just 10 quarters.
One of those bombs came Saturday against Mississippi State. Manning hooked up with DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 50-yard TD. It came at a key time. The Bulldogs had just cut the Texas lead to one.
“Texas had a one-point lead with just 36 second left until halftime, and was looking at third-and-9 from just inside the 50-yard line. In the shotgun with an empty backfield, Manning faced a blitz, took a hit, and delivered a perfect pass almost 50 yards down the field, leading Moore into the end zone.” — John Fisher
“Texas came out in an empty formation and Mississippi State played Cover 0 across the board so Arch knew he had to get the ball out quick but waited until the last second to get off a perfect fade throw while taking a hit. He was in the zone all afternoon for the Longhorns with dots all over the field like this one.” — Clint Brewster
It’s been great getting a sneak peak of Arch Manning the quarterback over the past two weeks and a glimpse of 2025 and 2026. And if Ewers gets hurt again Manning is more prepared to step in than he was at the beginning of 2024.
Due to his efforts, Manning received a 94.2 grade from PFF College, the highest among quarterbacks in college football
In his first career SEC start on Saturday, Arch Manning showed why the Longhorns’ future is bright. The talented freshman led Texas to its fifth win, completing 26 of his 31 passes. Due to his efforts, Manning received a 94.2 grade from PFF College, the highest among quarterbacks in college football.
As the Texas Longhorns put 35 points on the board, Manning threw for 325 yards while adding two passing touchdowns to his resume. He averaged 10.5 yards a throw and did not turn the ball over. The New Orleans native was facing his toughest test of the season and passed with flying colors.
Although Manning made headlines with his arm, he also made an impact on the ground. The Longhorns star rushed for 33 yards on six carries and found the end zone once. Although Texas failed to reach the 50-point mark for the first time in two weeks, it dominated on both sides of the ball.
Arch Manning with a dart before the end of the half 🎯 (via @TexasFootball)
Through three games this season, Manning has thrown for 900 yards and completed 55 passes. Everytime he has stepped on the field, he has looked more comfortable and continued to build excitement for what the future holds in Texas.
With Quinn Ewers expected to be fully healthy and ready to start against Oklahoma on October 12, Manning’s playing time for the rest of the season is up in the air. However, he is still a vital part of the future and could get more reps if the Longhorns continue to blow out opponents.
On Saturday, Manning showed just how good he could be, and PFF took notice.
