Cam Newton explains why Arch Manning sitting behind Quinn Ewers at Texas was right call
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Cam Newton is well aware of the debate surrounding Arch Manning during his first 2 years at Texas, specifically whether Manning should have been the starter in 2024 instead of Quinn Ewers. Ewers, of course, led the Longhorns to two straight College Football Playoff appearances, but whether he was necessarily better than Manning was a lingering question throughout the 2024 season.
Newton, though, feels Manning not getting the starting quarterback job earlier was the correct decision, even with the hype that comes with his famous last name. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner likened it to his own experiences as a backup at Florida behind another SEC legend a few years before leading Auburn to a national championship.
“I’ve always felt like I was more talented than Tim Tebow. But I needed Tim Tebow to show me what I lacked,” Newton said on his 4th&1 podcast. “Tim Tebow is an unbelievable leader, verbally and by actions. Arch would be a fool if he has not learned anything from Quinn Ewers, how he prepared, how he led his team, and just how he handled and managed the expectations for being a quarterback at a university like Texas.”
As Manning prepares to be the Texas starter in 2025, the broader college football world has been growing feverish. Earlier this week, Paul Finebaum made waves when he claimed Manning was the best college quarterback the sport has seen since Tebow.
And while Manning just as easily could have gone somewhere other than Texas and perhaps would have had a better opportunity to play right away, it wouldn’t necessarily have set him up for success in the NFL, Newton noted.
“A lot of these parents and a lot of these players get so jaded off of the fact that, hey, I’m trying to play early. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Scratch that. Go somewhere that after three years, you could put yourself in a position to go to the league,” Newton said. “That doesn’t mean that I’m going somewhere where I could play early or start. Just because you’re starting doesn’t mean you’re getting developed.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
