Arch Manning committed to Steve Sarkisian-led Texas Longhorns in June 2022 and became the third-strong quarterback behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy. He redshirted in 2023 and made his debut in the 2024 season, playing in three games in place of the then-starting QB.ESPN analyst and author Seth Wickersham was the guest on the "PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT" podcast, where he marketed his "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback" book. There, Wickersham also shed insightful information on how it was for Arch to play as a backup behind Ewers. He said (from 34:02 to 35:52):"I thought that was one of the most insightful experiences if you're looking at like, why Arch might make it and live up to this, and the fact that he didn't leave. Like going back to Tom Brady, I mean, he loves writing about his mission experience and like everyone's like, 'Oh, poor Tom Brady started as a seven-stringer.' And then by the time he got the starting job, he had to fight for it again, and he kept getting pulled.""With Arch, in the era of the portal, think about the number of coaches texting saying, 'He'll get on the field next Saturday for us.' The fact that he stuck it out at Texas at a time in which there has never been more power for a prospect in demand to make a choice that makes them even in the mind of the coaches at least more powerful than them."Seth Wickersham reveals how Steve Sarkisian's personal battles almost affected Arch Manning's recruitmentIn the same podcast, Wickersham revealed how ex-Alabama coach Nick Saban's assistant, Pete Golding, tried to sway Arch Manning, his dad Cooper, and high school coach Nelson Stewart by pointing out Texas coach Steve Sarkisian's past battle with alcoholism. He said:"People thought Alabama would be good 'cause he could be coached by daddy...Texas was kept lingering...It got so tight that Pete Golding was on a call with Arch, Cooper, and Nelson Stewart, a Zoom. And, people, you know that Steve Sarkisian, the coach of University of Texas, has battled alcoholism. It's public record.""So, Pete, who's friends with Sark, says on this call, he says, 'I love Sark. He's my best friend.' And then he's like, 'Oh, my God, do I go there?' And he did. He goes, 'I hope he can stay sober.' And then after the call, Nelson Stewart called him, and he was like, 'Pete, that is f*cked up.' Golding knew it was f*cked up, but he had no choice because he said, 'Daddy's on me.'"Arch Manning chose Texas for a host of reasons. He liked that Steve Sarkisian was the play caller and didn't have to worry about the OC leaving the program anytime soon. Additionally, he felt comfortable in Austin since it's a huge town that allows people to blend.The QB is set to lead the Texas Longhorns in the 2025-26 season. Paul Finebaum thinks that Arch Manning can dominate the defending champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and other teams this year.