Steve Spurrier isn’t buying the Arch Manning hype.
The Head Ball Coach appeared on the ‘Another Dooley Noted Podcast’ with Pat Dooley this week for a wide-ranging interview. Spurrier was asked for his thoughts on Manning and Texas in 2025 — and suffice it to say he isn’t sold on the hype coming out of Austin this summer.
“I think most people are going to pick Texas to [win the SEC],” Spurrier said. “They’ve got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman, too. My question is, ‘if he is this good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? He was a seventh round pick.
“You’ll have to ask coach Sark, ‘how come you played that one instead of this one?’ Hopefully he’ll say, ‘because we thought he was better than that one.’ Isn’t that why you play one guy and not the other?”
Spurrier is hitting on a common criticism from Texas doubters this offseason. Ewers had a down year in 2024 from an efficiency perspective, but Texas stuck with him down the stretch even with Manning waiting in the wings.
Manning is the current offseason leader in Heisman Trophy betting odds at most of the best sports betting apps. Texas is also the consensus leader in SEC Championship Game odds after coming up just short a year ago against Georgia.
Manning and the Longhorns will open up the 2025 season against Ohio State on Aug. 30.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
