Austin, Texas - Arch Manning is still a top passer, according to the Texas Longhorns.

Luckily, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian didn't have to play the guessing game of whether Arch Manning or Maalik Murphy should step in for Quinn Ewers during the first half of the regular season.

Ewers made it through the first half of the regular season without a scratch, and the Longhorns found themselves in some nail-biting fourth-quarter showdowns with Alabama, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, leaving little room for the backup quarterbacks to get in the game.

Yet, the life of a second-string quarterback involves constant weekly preparation, always aware that they could be thrust into the spotlight at any moment, even if playing time is far from assured.

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Manning and Murphy's ongoing preparation plays a crucial role in their "starter" development, and Coach Sarkisian is widely impressed.

Arch Manning may not take to the field this football season, but the young quarterback is still destined for greatness.

"I think Maalik and Arch have continued to grow systematically in a real sense and understanding of what we're doing," Sarkisian told the media on Monday.

"I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I thought Arch probably had his best practice that he'd had since he'd been here," Sarkisian added.

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"Again, there's a level of consistency in that play: How do you carry that practice to the next one and the next one and the next one? That's always a challenge at the quarterback position for us."

Fans first last laid eyes on Manning in April during the spring game. There, Manning had a tough time in that game, with defenders in his face on nearly every throw, managing just five completions for 30 yards.

Since then, he's made significant improvements and even trained with the top quarterback coaches in the nation, notable for working with two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, Arch's uncle.

Arch Manning and Texas will take to the field on Saturday against Houston at 4PM ET.