Texas QB Arch Manning could change college football forever (and for the better)

It might not happen overnight. It might not even happen in the next year. But Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning could change the sport of college football forever (and for the better). 

Actually, it wouldn't be as much of a change as it would be the sport reverting back to what it used to be. You know, before the NCAA transfer portal came along and brought chaos to college football. 

Manning is the most high-profiled player in college football. The former five-star recruit could simply go by "Arch" and nearly every college football fan in the country would know who you're talking about. 

To say that Manning is the most recognizable player in college football wouldn't be an exaggeration. 

And yet he's poised to enter the 2024 season, his second as a college football player, as a backup at Texas. 

It's a good thing. 

Manning, based on his impressive spring game performance, could probably start for Texas this fall and take the Longhorns to where they want to go (the College Football Playoff). But Quinn Ewers is returning for another year and for now, he's viewed by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian as the better option. 

So instead of transferring because he's not going to be starting as a second-year college player, Manning is waiting his turn. 

It's a good thing. 

This is how it used to go in college football. Talented quarterbacks would sign with a college program and then they'd wait two or three years before getting their opportunity. That's not how it always worked out -- sometimes injuries and timing necessitated that a true freshman start at quarterback -- but for the most part, that was the formula. 

And quarterbacks were better for it. 

The best path for success for a college quarterback is to sit for a year or two (or three), learn the system, get reps in during garbage time, and then get a chance to start when he's actually ready. Not because an NIL deal or the threat of a transfer demands that he starts. 

Manning's old school approach is refreshing. It shows that controlling what you can control -- your work habits, your attitude, your nutrition, etc -- is still the best path to success. If you're an elite player, you'll eventually get your chance. There isn't a Patrick Mahomes clone that's buried on a depth chart somewhere that's never going to get a chance. Elite talent always rises to the top (just look at Tom Brady and his experience at Michigan). 

Hopefully, coaches and high school recruits see the path that Manning is taking and recognize that it's the best path to success. It might not be a path that's ripe with immediate rewards/gratification, but it's the best path for longterm sustained success.