While Quinn Ewers continues to recover from an oblique muscle injury, Arch Manning will make his first start for No. 1 Texas on Saturday night against UL Monroe, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.

“Quinn has made great strides since Saturday night to where he is,” Sarkisian said. “But my decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us. … And getting him maybe another week healthier for the long term, I think, is good for us as we get ready for SEC play.”

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Manning, the top prospect of the 2023 class, has played four games for Texas, but his breakthrough came last week in a 56-7 win over UTSA after Ewers was injured.

Manning, who came on in the second quarter, threw for five touchdowns. His 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo and his 67-yard touchdown run — the longest ever by a UT freshman — marked the first time in school history that a player had run and thrown for at least 65 yards in the same game. Only Colt McCoy and Vince Young had done it in the same season for Texas.

Sarkisian said Manning always prepares as if he can start, but that executing the game plan from the first series will be different than just being thrown in at the deep end.

“Arch is more than capable, as we all know,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, you go out there and you’ve got five touchdowns coming off the bench, you’ve already proven you can play. Now it’s about executing the plan, doing it with confidence and solving some of the issues on the field as they arise.”

Sarkisian said Ewers will be there to help Manning with any issues.

“Quinn will obviously have an earpiece in. He’s going to hear every play call,” Sarkisian said. “Without a doubt, his support for Arch is critical, and I don’t foresee anything other than that.”

“All the goals that (Ewers) had and that we had for him when we came into this season, they’re still there for him. I think we have a team that can play at a national championship level, and he’s the quarterback of that team. And I think we still have that in front of us to do that. … This guy is going to be in New York for the Heisman … and I think he has the ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian

Sarkisian said he told Ewers that a week off won’t change anything. The Longhorns play their first SEC game on Sept. 28 against Mississippi State. After a week off, they play back-to-back games against No. 15 Oklahoma in Dallas and No. 2 Georgia in Austin.

Ewers is completing 73.4% of his passes this season, throwing for 691 yards and eight touchdowns, with two interceptions.

“All the goals that he had and that we had for him this season, they’re still there for him,” Sarkisian said. “I think we have a team that can play at a national championship level, and he’s the quarterback of that team. And I think we still have that in front of us to do that.

“I think with some games that we have in the future, this guy is going to be in New York for the Heisman. And whether he wins or not, he has the ability to do that, and I think he has the ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick.”

ULM defensive coordinator Earnest Hill raised eyebrows Wednesday when he referenced his team’s familiarity with Manning, a New Orleans native who attended high school at Isidore Newman.

“We actually have a couple of guys on our team that played him in New Orleans, and a couple of guys have beaten him,” Hill said. “So they’re not as scared of him. They’re not going to scare him when he comes here.”

According to ESPN BET, the Longhorns are 44.5-point favorites going into Saturday’s game.