The Red River Rivalry makes its SEC debut this Saturday, marking a historic 120th matchup between Texas and Oklahoma. A few players will experience this iconic game for the first time in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl Stadium, with a boisterous crowd of crimson and burnt orange split down the middle. Here are the freshmen to look out for on both sides of the Red River.
Arch Manning, Texas quarterback
Although Quinn Ewers will start as quarterback on Saturday afternoon, redshirt freshman Arch Manning will be waiting in the wings for a chance to take the field. When needed, Manning has stepped up and exceeded expectations in his first full season of play. When Ewers went down on Sept. 14 against UTSA with an oblique injury, the young quarterback stepped up and didn’t disappoint. In his first play in the game, he threw a touchdown. Since then, he’s led the Longhorns to two more wins. Manning has thrown 55 completions for 901 yards and 12 total touchdowns. With the stakes high as ever in the famed Red River Rivalry, it will be interesting to see how Manning handles the pressure.
Colin Simmons, Texas edge
Colin Simmons has put on a dominant performance every time he’s taken the field. The true freshman racked up four sacks in the past five games, including one against Michigan and two against Mississippi State. Simmons has also logged 18 tackles this season, 13 of them unassisted. His unstoppable pass rush will be a key part of stopping Oklahoma’s competent offense, which has allowed its opponents only 16 points per game on average.
Micahel Hawkins Jr, Oklahoma quarterback
Michael Hawkins Jr. will make history on Saturday as Oklahoma’s first true-freshman quarterback to ever start against Texas. The four-star prospect from Dallas will be in for a wild ride against the No. 1 Longhorns in one of the rowdiest environments in college football. On Sept. 21, Hawkins replaced sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold after a poor performance against Tennessee – the Sooners’ only loss this season. Since then, Hawkins led the Sooners to a 27-21 win against Auburn. He threw 161 yards and rushed for 69 against the Tigers.
Jayden Jackson, Oklahoma defensive lineman
Jayden Jackson also made history earlier this season as the first true freshman defensive lineman to start for Oklahoma since 2001. Jackson, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, has posted seven tackles in the four games he’s played. Three were unassisted, and four came with the help of his teammates. Although his stats don’t jump off the page, Jackson is a piece of the puzzle that is Oklahoma’s strong defense. The freshman will experience his first Red River Rivalry and will have to play with composure in front of a raucous crowd.
