No. 7 Texas faces in-state foe UTEP at DKR Memorial Stadium on Saturday, which will be a matchup of two former blue-chip quarterback recruits from the 2023 class. Texas quarterback Arch Manning, the former No. 1 player in his class by 247Sports, will square off against UTEP signal-caller Malachi Nelson, the fifth-ranked quarterback from the same recruiting cycle.
While Manning is the only five-star that has stayed at his respective school among the five such recruits from that class, Nelson has had quite the journey. After committing to USC out of high school and transferring to Boise State last year, Nelson enrolled at UTEP and won the starting job.
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The Longhorns are coming off their first win — a 38-7 victory over San Jose State — after opening the season on the road with a loss to defending national champion Ohio State. UTEP also enters this game 1-1 after a loss to Utah State in its season-opener and a win over UT Martin last week.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Texas’ matchup with UTEP this weekend.
Where to watch Texas vs. UTEP live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13 | Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
Location: DKR Memorial Stadium — Austin, Texas
TV: SEC Network | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Texas vs. UTEP: Need to know
Can Manning follow up on his big day? It’s no secret that Manning struggled in Texas’ season-opener against Ohio State, and the offense didn’t look any sharper during Texas’ first two drives against San Jose State. But then, Manning connected with Parker Livingstone for an 83-yard touchdown, and it was all smooth sailing from there. Manning finished the day 19 of 30 for 295 yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans. The next two weeks will be crucial for Manning’s overall confidence as SEC play begins next month with a road matchup against Florida.
Another former five-star QB is on the other side: The 2023 recruiting class is full of players who have hit the transfer portal multiple times, but none more famously than Nelson. Lincoln Riley recruited him to USC to be a potential successor to former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, but Nelson left after one season and ransferred to Boise State. He was viewed as a natural fit to be the starting quarterback for a CFP contender, but instead lost the job in fall camp to Maddux Madsen. Nelson is at his third school in three years but has appeared to have finally found a home at UTEP with five touchdown passes in two games.
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Livingstone is a player to watch: Who would be Manning’s top target was a storyline coming into the season. It appears that question has been answered. Enter Livingston, Manning’s roommate, who has six catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. His breakout performance happened last week, when he caught four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. That connection will be relied on heavily on Saturday and throughout the remainder of the season.
Texas vs. UTEP prediction, pick
Against San Jose State, Texas started slow and didn’t cover the spread as a 36.5-point favorite. This week, the line is even larger against UTEP. Although I don’t expect UTEP to come into Austin and pull off an upset, I predict this game to be more competitive than the line indicates. Take UTEP with the points. Pick: UTEP +41.5
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