Texas Longhorns freshman quarterback Arch Manning has thrown only five passes all year.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers has put up huge numbers this season and will arguably be the key factor for Texas in the College Football Playoff.
If you have to ask which quarterback got swarmed by reporters during the Sugar Bowl’s media session Saturday while the other quietly watched, you haven’t been following the Arch Manning story this year.
Manning met with reporters for the first time since he joined the Longhorns, and at one point, there were almost two dozen reporters surrounding him as Ewers watched.
One surreal photo, taken by Aaron E. Martinez of the Austin American-Statesman, dramatically highlighted the moment.
https://twitter.com/txlonestarlive/status/1741153190425375173
Manning even apologized for taking the spotlight.
“My grandfather always likes to say in interviews less is best,” Manning said (via 247 Sports).
“He can have it all,” Ewers joked.
The media interest in Manning is understandable. The latest branch in the famous Manning family QB tree that started with grandfather Archie and flourished with uncles Peyton and Eli, Arch Manning was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023.
Saturday, he finally met with reporters. It’s not his fault the media swarmed him.
To be fair, Ewers had already spent time with reporters, so the photo doesn’t tell the whole story.
"They make my job a whole lot easier."@QuinnEwers gives his flowers to his @TexasFootball skill position guys.@FozzyWhitt| #HookEm
Hear non-stop coverage of @CFBPlayoff Media Days: https://t.co/uXhGftgrQx pic.twitter.com/R2olhzGn4O
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) December 30, 2023
Not surprisingly, the college football world loved the image.
https://twitter.com/Joshua_Newman/status/1741143030374055941
Quinn Ewers looking at reporters interviewing Arch Manning near the end of the media session. How long before this becomes a meme? pic.twitter.com/DeD6R40xeP
— CFFguys (@CFFguys) December 30, 2023
Arch Manning has a circle of media around him.
Oh yeah, and then there is QB1 Quinn Ewers. pic.twitter.com/ZHUD4nh56T
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) December 30, 2023