For the first time in nearly three decades, a Manning — wearing No. 16 — will play at Neyland Stadium. He just won’t be wearing the right shade of orange.
Arch Manning will lead his No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns into Knoxville on Saturday, a place that he’s never been. Manning, one of the highest profile prospects of all time, never visited Tennessee during his recruiting process. Being born in 2004 with uncle Peyton already in the NFL, there’s really never been a reason. That changes this weekend.
“Yeah, it’s interesting, Arch and I, we were meeting this morning. And I just had assumed he’d been to Knoxville and been to Tennessee,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. “He’s never been before. So I’m sure it’s pretty, for the family, for Arch, to play on the field that his uncle played on. And that’s, again, just another, it’s all part of the journey. It’s all part of the story. And so for him, I’m sure there’s gonna be a special moment in there for the family and for him.”
Manning ended up choosing Texas over both Alabama and Georgia after taking official visits to all three schools. While it may be a bit strange for Peyton this weekend in Knoxville, it’s likely just another start in the SEC on the road for Arch.
“I think at the end of the day, you’re the quarterback at Texas,” Sarkisian said. “Your last name’s Manning. Regardless of what you do, you’re gonna get critiqued. You’re going to get criticized. I’m the head coach of Texas. Regardless of what I do, I’m going to get critiqued. I’m gonna get criticized. Who really gives a crap? Just go play, man. Go be you.”
Manning is in his second season as the starter at Texas. It’s been an up and down ride to this point, filled with inconsistencies and elite flashes. His struggles in true road games have been noted (2-2 record in 2025), capped with an ugly loss in Athens, 35-10.
His next environment could be his toughest test yet.
“We’re going into what I would probably consider is the loudest stadium in the country, Neyland Stadium,” Sarkisian said.
“It’s 100 and something thousand, I don’t know the exact number of what it holds — 102,000 103,000, similar to our place. But the structure of it is what it is, their fans are engaged, they understand football, they got a lot of pride in their program. But I don’t know, the structure of it, why, if it’s more vertical, I’m not sure why.”
Arch’s first trip to Neyland begins at noon ET, with College Gameday on site and the whole college football world watching. Texas enters as a 5.5 point favorite.
