The Arch Manning hype machine hit a new level when Quinn Ewers declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. All the hopes and dreams for Texas under Steve Sarkisian were placed on Manning’s shoulders. [Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!] There’s a lot that comes with those hopes and dreams. […]
The Arch Manning hype machine hit a new level when Quinn Ewers declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. All the hopes and dreams for Texas under Steve Sarkisian were placed on Manning’s shoulders.
[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!]
There’s a lot that comes with those hopes and dreams. Some of it is positive, like deals with Red Bull, Vuori, Waymo, and Warby Parker. Some of it is negative, like not being able to go out in public without being hounded for pictures or autographs. Some of it is non-sensical. Why are we talking about the Cleveland Browns?
But for almost nine months, that hype train hasn’t been 100 percent focused on football. That changes tomorrow.
“I think Sark does a good job of saying be here with us and be here now,” Manning said Monday. “I’m going to focus on today. Saturday will be here soon enough.”
On Saturday, we get to watch Arch Manning play football.
With an offseason full of hype, it’s easy to forget what makes the Manning era so exciting for Texas. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking in the 2023 class. He was scintillating during his appearances in 2024 behind Ewers.
He also felt the hurt of falling to Georgia twice and to Ohio State to end the year. Even though the images of Michael Taaffe wailing are the ones we associate with the loss in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Manning felt the pain of that loss, too.
Most Longhorns that spoke to the media downplayed revenge earlier this week. That’s not what this game is about, anyway. This is about the curtain rising on the 2025 season, and Manning doing what he can to take the leading role.
It takes a varied skill set to be a quarterback and to receive the type of accolades Manning has, even though he likes to downplay the praise he gets. As Ian Boyd notes, he throws bombs. And those bombs are exciting.
Manning’s ability to connect on the deep ball, something evidenced by his 10.4 yards per attempt in 2024, is tantalizing. Sure, the sample size was limited, but that’s a ferocious number. Mac Jones averaged 11.2 yards per attempt in 2020. Tua Tagovailoa was at 11.3 in 2019 before his season ended due to injury. Manning doesn’t have to eclipse those all-time figures from quarterbacks in Sarkisian/Alabama offenses to still be effective. He just needs to connect on a few bombs and the Longhorn offense will have an element it hasn’t seen at full force in the Sarkisian era.
There are the legs, too.
Manning quipped not long ago that his grandfather, Archie, ends phone calls with “get down or get out of bounds.” The patriarch isn’t the only one that tells him that. In July, Texas assistant AJ Milwee recalled a run from Arch’s start versus Mississippi State where he tried to go one-on-one with a Bulldog linebacker. It didn’t go well for Manning.
So while Manning will get down or out of bounds a bit more often this year, he’ll have chances to make plays before he does one of those two things. The image of him running free versus UTSA and sending Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium into a frenzy provided a small taste of what Manning can do on the ground.
There will be times when Manning can’t heed his grandfather’s advice. He’ll have to get the ball over the line. The score against the Aggies in College Station, and the ensuing mean mug, shows that when Manning needs to use his 6-foot-4, 219-pound frame, he will.
There will be growing pains for Manning despite his status as a redshirt sophomore. Saturday will be his first road start. He’ll be facing a talented Ohio State defense. But the excitement isn’t just about his potential, but also about how special Manning can be as he grows throughout the year.
The mental and emotional parts of Manning’s game are as exciting as the physical gifts he displays with his right arm and two feet. For all the jokes about how he’d be a three-star if he were named Arch Smith, there’s a small element of truth hidden within those barbs.
He is a Manning. He grew up in a house where quarterbacking was the family trade. His summers had one consistent event: the Manning Passing Academy. Even if he were 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Manning’s ability to process and use his brain effectively on the field would be captivating and still make him an intriguing prospect. Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, and Lane Kiffin all sought to add Manning to their teams for a reason.
But he chose to play for Sarkisian, and he’ll get to play for Sark on a team Manning has often said he dreamed of suiting up for.
The long offseason has given every voice at every outlet the opportunity to talk about Manning. That long offseason is almost over.
“Once it’s time to play, you’ve got to remember there’s only so much film and everything you can watch,” Manning said. “It’s time to go rip it once you’re out there.”
Tomorrow, we get to watch Arch Manning play football.
Category: General Sports
