Arch Manning stole the show in his second spring game with the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. Of course, with Quinn Ewers around for at least another season, the question on everyone’s minds is whether Manning can steal a job.

The redshirt freshman with the dynastic last name was uneven in his first spring game a full year ago. He looked like an early enrollee, a young quarterback who was still adjusting. They say the move from high school ball to major college football can be more jarring than the jump to the NFL, and Manning needed some patience and some grace early on.

He played in just 2 games as a true freshman last fall. He threw a total of 5 passes. With Ewers back for another year after leading the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff, Manning seemed like he’d get even more time to season.

Then Saturday played out the way it did.

Ewers had a pass batted by one defensive lineman and intercepted by another defensive lineman for the scrimmage’s first score. On Manning’s first play of the day, he hit DeAndre Moore Jr. behind the coverage for a 75-yard touchdown.

It wasn’t exactly an extraordinary kind of throw from Manning. His man beat busted coverage; he just had to get the ball there. There was a nice body feint, and he stepped up to avoid the rusher on his backside, but that’s the kind of throw you expect a starter at the Power Four level to hit.

And then Manning just kept hitting them.

He hit his first 10 passes. He had a touchdown bounce off a receiver’s hands at the end of the second quarter. By halftime, Manning had 191 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11-of-13 passing. He closed the game out with 355 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19-of-25 passing.

In the second quarter, he hit tailback Jaydon Blue on a Texas route for a score.

Late in the fourth quarter, he connected with Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond for a go-ahead touchdown. Bond beat his man, Manning just flicked his wrist and dropped the ball in the bucket.

The pessimist is going to look at Texas’s spring game in its totality and question the quality of the secondary. Texas was too often susceptible to the deep shot last season, when its pass defense gave up 7.1 yards a play and 20-yarders on 9.1% of opponents’ passes. There were causes for concern in that area on Saturday.

But Manning also threw the ball well. He looked like a natural throwing downfield, and maybe that’s the distinguishing trait between him and Ewers.

(UT’s receivers also had an encouraging day — hello, Ryan Wingo — and they had their own point to prove.)

Earlier in the week, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian referenced Manning’s ability to make plays happen with his athleticism. What the staff has hoped to impress upon him is that, while he has that ability, it needs to be a last resort more often than not. Climb the pocket, keep your eyes down the field, and look to make a play with your arm.

Sarkisian thought Manning was getting better in that regard as the spring period wound down. He no doubt liked what he saw on Saturday. Manning threw some darts, went through his progressions, dumped off when necessary, and played it smart with the ball.

“The biggest thing I saw from Arch was something that we really harped on with him about a week and a half ago, about just playing the play and keeping your eyes up,” Sarkisian said. “When he keeps his eyes up and steps up in the pocket, he can deliver those balls down the field the way that we’d like to play. It was good to see.”

The plan was for Ewers to only handle a couple of series. He and Manning were on the same team because the coaching staff wanted an extended run for the youngster.

On the other side, freshman quarterback Trey Owens showed off a cannon for an arm. Top to bottom, Texas might have the most promising quarterback room in the country. But only 1 man can play, and the questions will naturally follow a spring performance like what Manning just had.

The transfer portal and NIL landscape being what it is won’t help the situation. But Manning and Texas have handled this brilliantly up to this point. Saturday’s showing was a showcase in development — a nod to the work Manning has done without first-team reps and the commitment Texas has shown to a guy who was QB3 a year ago.

He will more than likely be QB2 this fall. Ewers posted a top-15 QBR last year as the starter and, again, led the school to the Playoff. But he also missed 2 games last year and 3 games the season prior. There’s a scenario where Manning is named the backup before the season and still ends up starting a game this fall.

How he manages the summer months ahead will be just as important as how the Texas coaching staff manages the hype.

Related: DraftKings currently lists Texas with the second-shortest odds to win the SEC next season (+320). The Longhorns are a favorite to make the CFP (-250), 1 of 9 schools on the board with implied odds greater than 50%. Want to bet on the Longhorns? Head here and get a first-deposit bonus when you sign up.