Arch Manning's first media day delves into backup role, family - ESPN

NEW ORLEANS — There is a certain spotlight that comes with being a Manning quarterback. For Arch Manning, back home in New Orleans, the spotlight is even greater now that he enters the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl as the Texas backup.

That was obvious Saturday at Longhorns media day, his first availability since arriving at Texas in January as the most heralded recruit in the Steve Sarkisian era. Manning spoke for nearly 40 minutes about his new role as the No. 2 quarterback behind Quinn Ewers, his famous grandfather and uncles, being in the Superdome and what he has learned since he enrolled with the Longhorns.

The biggest difference between the game Monday night against Washington and every other game this season is that he is now officially one play away from getting into a game, after backup Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal.

«I've tried to prepare like I'm the starter every week, but I guess now that you're just one play away instead of two, there's a little more to be prepared for,» Manning said. «A lot of it is mental just because you're watching, you've got to get mental reps and just trying to prepare like you're the starter because there's a good chance you play. There's also a good chance you don't play, but at the end of the day, it's just football, going out there, doing what I've done my whole life. So that's what I'm trying to do.»

If Manning needed any reminder about how close he is to playing, he saw firsthand as he watched the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday night. Ohio State starter Devin Brown got hurt early, and freshman Lincoln Kienholz played the rest of the way. The Buckeyes ended up losing 14-3 to Missouri.

«That just kind of reminds me that I'm one