If there’s a college football player under more pressure to perform this season than Texas junior quarterback Arch Manning, somebody better let his coach know who it is.
Steve Sarkisian saw how the heavy
burden of expectations weighed on Manning last year when he became the Longhorns’ starting QB, and with anticipation even greater for Texas to make a run at the national championship this year, the coach can only imagine the stress that’s coming.
All the attention, scrutiny and negative feedback from Manning's up-and-down start to the 2025 season, Sarkisian said, would have been enough to derail almost any prized quarterback prospect. But Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, gutted through a three-loss year and finished strongly – even if Texas failed to reach the College Football Playoff.
“What he got put through probably would have melted or destroyed 99% of people in his shoes,” Sarkisian told reporters Aug. 18 during the Longhorns’ fall camp. “All he did was stay consistent and true to who he was, which was to continue to work hard, continue to be a great teammate, try to get better, and he did.
“I think that he’s grown into a great leader for us."
It’s not like Manning had a choice. His famous last name and obvious collection of talent didn’t allow any room for error. Not when he was the quarterback for the top-ranked team in the nation to start the season. Not when he was the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite.
But then came the disjointed 14-7 loss to Ohio State in the opener. There was a shaky performance in a 27-10 win over UTEP. After a sloppy 29-21 loss at Florida, some in the national media started calling Manning a bust.
He and the Longhorns, however, rebounded from a rough start to win seven of their final eight games, including a 14-point victory over Michigan to capture the Citrus Bowl. Manning threw for more than 2,000 yards with 15 touchdowns against just two interceptions, and he also ran for five scores during that stretch.
The pressure is about to be turned up once again.
After hosting Texas State on Sept. 5, how will Manning respond when fifth-ranked Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12? What will the headlines say after Manning and the Longhorns open SEC play against Tennessee on Sept. 26?
“I’ve obviously matured,” Manning told reporters Aug. 14. “I think going through those rough times, I learned a lot about myself. And I’ve become a better man because of it and hopefully a better player.”
As for facing the Buckeyes and hoping to avoid a similar outcome as last year, he said, “I don’t want to repeat that game.”
Maybe he won’t. Manning is different this year and so are his teammates. Sarkisian significantly upgraded the Texas roster this offseason by leaning hard into the transfer portal and the newcomers should be of great help to Manning.
Three key additions were top-flight wide receiver Cam Coleman, who transferred from Auburn, and running backs Raleek Brown (Arizona State) and Hollywood Smothers (North Carolina State).
“I think we all can agree that we’re probably better around Arch today than we were a year ago at this time,” Sarkisian said, adding of Manning, “He’s a very dangerous player because he learned a lot from last season, and he is surrounded by some good players. I think that he’s a guy that’s poised for a heck of a season.”
If it doesn’t result in Texas winning its first national championship since 2005, there’s a chance Manning won’t declare for the 2027 NFL Draft and might instead opt to return to the Longhorns for another year.
If that ends up being the case, it could throw a wrench into the plans of a handful of NFL clubs that might be seeking a future franchise quarterback, including perhaps the Arizona Cardinals.
If Manning does enter the 2027 draft, could his family persuade him to avoid signing with a certain team the way his uncle Eli forced a trade from the Chargers to the Giants during the 2004 draft?
Sarkisian said he hasn’t had any of those conversations with Arch Manning. Staying in school or turning pro are both reasonable options.
“He does pretty good through NIL,” the coach said. “He's got some pretty good endorsements going right now, which is a credit to him and obviously the lineage of the last name and the brand of the University of Texas. All those things coming together.
“On the same token, I won't be surprised if he declares and decides to go to the draft, but I think some of that is dependent upon how we play as a team this fall, how he plays individually.”
Just like last year, all eyes will be on Arch Manning this season.
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic .Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM) and every Thursday on the Doug Franz Unplugged podcast via Apple or Spotify.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Under pressure, Texas' Arch Manning chases greatness | Opinion
