Texas quarterback Arch Manning is out of his protective boot following a minor foot surgery in January but will still be limited this spring, "especially early on," coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN on Thursday.
"He had a lingering thing that he'd been dealing with over a couple of years that we just wanted to clean up," Sarkisian said. "It wasn't a serious issue at all. It takes time. You do a procedure on a foot, we're going to be cautious to make sure he's 100% healthy before he goes."
Manning passed for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 10 touchdowns last season, his first as the Longhorns' full-time starter. Sarkisian said that in the second half of the season, "nobody was playing better" than Manning, a redshirt sophomore who decided to return to school instead of entering the NFL draft.
"Having a year under his belt and us struggling as a team kind of offensively the first half of the season, and him going through the growing pains in the end, it was a good thing," Sarkisian said. "I think he gained a lot of confidence in the second half of the season, and I think we learned about him, he learned his style of play, and he came back with a really good mindset. This is his team. ... In the end, naturally, he wants to go win a championship. The rest of the things will fall into place, but that's where his mindset is. He's the ultimate team player, and it shows every day."
Texas, which finished 10-3 last season and missed the College Football Playoff, is facing high expectations again this year. The Longhorns beat Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl that included Manning's 60-yard game-clinching touchdown run. Sarkisian said Manning's slow return this spring will provide an opportunity to get his younger quarterbacks, including KJ Lacey, Dia Bell and MJ Morris, "ready to play."
"He'll get work done, but I'm not as concerned about that," Sarkisian said of Manning, "especially now, more than ever, we get more time with the players in the summer."
