Arch Manning headlines the Texas Longhorns that Mississippi State fans should know

After a lackluster start to the season, Mississippi State football's bad luck continues, as they have the unfortunate task of traveling to Austin to take on the top-ranked Texas Longhorns. This will be the first conference game for the Longhorns as members of the SEC. Here are three players from Texas to know ahead of Saturday's matchup...

Quarterback Arch Manning

There's a chance that starter Quinn Ewers returns for the Longhorns, but it seems most likely that Arch Manning will make his second-straight start. So of course we want to highlight the next Manning that the Bulldogs could face. Arch Manning saw limited playing time versus Colorado State and UTSA when he was backing up Quinn Ewers, but he showed flashes of promise in those two games. After an injury derailed Ewers season momentarily, Manning earned his first start last week in the win over UL Monroe. Texas did cruise to victory, but Manning did struggle at time passing the football. He completed 15/29 passes for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. In previous years, a number of Mississippi State defenses would have success versus Manning. But based off what we have seen so far this season, that seems like a far-fetched idea. If Massing draws that start, he should be in for a big day.

Wide Receiver Isaiah Bond

Bond is another player State fans should be familiar with, as he played the previous two seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama. In his two previous games versus State, he has only caught two passes for 25 yards. However, I do not expect the same to happen on Saturday. He is Texas' leading receiver in terms of yards with 290 yards and tied for first on the team with three receiving touchdowns. Bond also leads the team in receptions with 15, and he is averaging 19.3 yards per reception. He will be the focal point of Texas' aerial assault on Saturday.

Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

Hill was a former five-star player and the top ranked linebacker in the class of 2023. Since then, he has lived up to the lofty expectations set before him. In his freshman season, he recorded 67 total tackles and five sacks. In the first four games this season, Hill has recorded 25 total tackles and two sacks. He also got his first career interception in the win over UL Monroe. Given the struggles that State has had in the run game and protecting the passer, Hill will look to showcase his elite skills on Saturday.