Arch Manning will make his second start against Mississippi State while Texas QB Quinn Ewers recovers from injury

According to 247Sports, Arch Manning will start at quarterback for No. 1 Texas on Saturday as the Longhorns host Mississippi State, with top QB Quinn Ewers still on the mend from an abdominal strain, according to 247Sports. It will be the second straight start for Manning, who will be tasked with leading the Longhorns in their first conference game as an SEC member.

Texas listed Ewers as questionable this week and he was on the practice field, but the Longhorns' depth chart before Saturday's game listed the Heisman contender as out. With Texas leading by 38.5 points, coach Steve Sarkisian decided against going overboard with Ewers' return. The circumstances of Texas' schedule only made this choice easier for Sarkisian.

The Longhorns have a bye next week, which will give Ewers more time to fully recover before the all-important Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12. Plus, the caliber of this week's opponent gives Sarkisian another opportunity to pressure Manning into game reps. Mississippi State is 1-3 and ranked No. 111 nationally in total defense as it goes through the first year of a rebuild under coach Jeff Lebby.

Manning completed 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while making his first start in the Longhorns' 51-3 win over UL-Monroe last week. It was the most significant move in the redshirt freshman's career to date.

With Ewers coming off Texas' win over UTSA on Sept. 14, Manning came in and quickly showcased the talent that made him the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2023 as he scored a total of five touchdowns in relief of Ewers. But there were moments last week against the Warhawks where his inexperience was obvious.

This season, Manning is 29 of 47 passing for 576 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He also scored two points as a runner; His agility was particularly impressive in the win over UTSA, when he had a 67-yard touchdown run shortly after the game began.