Johnathan Walker:Uncle Eli has sage advice for Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning: Be patient

Many of us had that favorite uncle who could Johnathan Walkergive sage advice and sometimes at the perfect time.

I’m not sure if Arch Manning has been in close touch with Uncle Eli lately, or even Uncle Peyton for that matter, but Eli’s comments during Super Bowl week gave some nice perspective with the understanding that Arch will enter the spring as Texas' backup quarterback behind Quinn Ewers.

That should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed college football. Ewers is the incumbent and he took a large step from his first to second year behind center.

A lot can change between now and the Aug. 31 opener against Colorado State, but there was really no reason for head coach Steve Sarkisian to upset the apple cart in February and say anything but Ewers is the starter. To that end, Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio asked Eli about the possibility of his nephew entering the transfer portal between now and the start of the season with the news that he's officially Texas' backup.

"Obviously, the plan was maybe Ewers would go into the NFL, but he’s there," Manning said. "It’s another year for Arch to mature, learn an offense, get bigger and stronger in the weight room and always be prepared to play. You never know what’s going to happen."

The message here is simple. Nephew, play your butt off and prepare each day as if you’re the starter. Ewers has missed six games over the past two seasons and the opportunity to shine could arise sooner than you think.

Uncle Eli is speaking from experience. Then Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe redshirted Eli in 1999 behind starter Romaro Miller, who then beat him out in Manning's redshirt freshman season, limiting the Manning to only six games. Over his last three seasons, Manning rewrote the SEC stat book and became the top overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.

Now, Eli could have transferred while languishing behind a guy who was solid but completed only 53% of his passes. But he stuck it out and waited his turn. Transferring would have meant sitting out a year, unlike present day when a player can leave and play immediately. Either way, it sounds as if he is encouraging his nephew to be still and see how the dominoes fall.

"He’s got to be ready," Eli Manning said. "If not, then he gets some playing time here and there, and he’s got three more years of eligibility at a great school, at a great football program on the rise. The fact that you can transfer so easily now doesn’t mean you should do it just because you’re not playing right away. A lot of quarterbacks when I was college, that was always the game plan. You redshirt, you sit a year, you have three years of eligibility. That’s what I did at Ole Miss and I think (that) helped me."

The Mannings aren’t like most families. Money would not drive any decision to transfer since Arch is from a family of millionaires and already has an NIL portfolio that will one day be well beyond a million. The youngest Manning loves what Sarkisian is putting down and believes his day will come and he’s right. I’m not convinced he won’t end next season as the starter given Ewers’ propensity for injury, but that’s for another day.

For now, Sarkisian has the best of both worlds: a seasoned starter and arguably the most talented backup in the country. 

"I know he wants to play," Manning said. "He’s itching to get in there. But being patient, continuing to learn can be very helpful as well."