Arch Manning is closing in on one of college football’s top quarterback honors.
On Friday, the Texas star was named a Top 10 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which goes each year to the nation’s best upperclassman quarterback. Manning still has a few games left to strengthen his case, but his recent play has put him firmly in the mix.
Texas has ridden that surge to a 7-2 start, with Manning helping guide the Longhorns through a season that has had its share of highs and lows. The team’s resume already includes three wins over opponents ranked in the top 15 and two against top-10 teams. Much of that success has come from Manning’s leadership, along with a defense that has delivered key stops even while missing important pieces such as Colin Simmons.
Through nine games, Manning has thrown for 2,024 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has also added 119 rushing yards, which ranks third on the team.
The Louisiana native has been especially sharp over the past two weeks, throwing six touchdown passes without an interception. That stretch included a comeback win over Missouri on Saturday, one that gave Texas a much-needed lift.
If Manning finishes the job, he would join a familiar name in Texas history. Colt McCoy won the award in 2009, and Quinn Ewers was a finalist two years ago in his final season as the Longhorns’ starter. The field will continue to narrow as the regular season winds down, with finalists eventually selected before one quarterback takes home the trophy.
The winner will be honored at the annual Golden Arm Award ceremony in Baltimore on Wednesday, Dec. 9. For Manning, the timing could hardly be better as he looks to keep building momentum and, with the NFL Draft on the horizon, potentially close out his college career with a major individual award.
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Warren Roberson Picked The Perfect Time For His First Texas Start
Warren Roberson had been waiting for his first Texas start, and he made it count in a game the Longhorns needed to control from start to finish. In a 34-20 win over Missouri, the senior cornerback stepped into the lineup and delivered one of the biggest plays of the afternoon late in the game, helping Texas protect a lead that had still felt vulnerable.
Robersons forced fumble flipped the momentum at the right moment, and sophomore Graceson Littleton turned it into even more damage by returning the recovery 44 yards to set up the clinching touchdown. For a defense that needed a timely answer, the sequence was exactly the kind of complementary football Texas wanted, with a first-time starter helping close the door when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gritted Out A Ranked Win But Two Problems Stood Out
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Texas Just Added Fuel To A Ranking Debate Fans Know Well
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For Longhorns fans, the latest update only adds more fuel to a familiar debate about where Texas belongs when the dust settles around the sports weekly chaos. The rankings keep moving, and with Tennessee, Oregon and Alabama also moving up, the conversation around the top of the poll is getting tighter by the week, leaving Texas right in the middle of the national picture with plenty still to be decided. [Read more 🡒]