“It was tough.” That’s what Arch Manning said about his long wait behind landing the Texas QB1 position. He is not just going to give us a glimpse of the legacy of his family name. Manning also has to impress the world by replicating what Quinn Ewers did for the Longhorns—a shot at the National Championship. A new era will unfold at Austin, and fans cannot wait to see CFB’s most-awaited player take his first snap as QB1. Once he does that, it’s all on him to decide what he does with the responsibility and opportunity he’s been given. Steve Sarkisian says that the Longhorns need to see the big picture before they think of anything else.
In the past two seasons, Sarkisian’s dreams of clinching a national championship victory were derailed at the same stop: CFP semifinals. But that’s also the benchmark for Arch Manning to meet, especially as Quinn Ewers’ successor. He already has 969 yards and 9 touchdowns under his belt; we know Manning will create some sort of an impact in the Longhorns’ 2025 campaign. This year, Sarkisian is just as poised as the last two seasons to have a shot at a national championship appearance. And he wants nothing less than the ceiling from Arch Manning and the team.
He said in a May 15 episode of On Second Thought, “The worst mistake you can make about taking a job at Texas is being like, shocked or surprised at what the standard is, right? You better know in the front end about what this place is all about.” Sarkisian’s recruiting classes of the past two years finished in the top 5 in the country, loaded with blue-chippers. He began turning things around in 2023 itself after clinching a Big 12 Conference championship, a 12-2 finish, and a playoff spot. In 2024, he pulled off the feat of getting another playoff spot, even as the bracket became crowded.
The 2024 success was achieved in Texas’ first season in the cutthroat environment of the SEC. Steve Sarkisian finished with a 13-3 record. The only wrinkle, however, was an SEC championship title loss. Sarkisian set the record straight about what he wants from his boys. “I think that from an organizational standpoint, from a player standpoint, hey, we compete for championships around here. And hey, we want an SEC championship. We fought our tail off last year; we go to overtime, and we don’t get it done. We want to win that, and we want to win a national championship.” That’s the baseline Sarkisian is setting for his team this year.
Those are the expectations. Since taking over the program, Steve Sarkisian has helped set those standards. Even though analysts are alerting Texas fans about the team losing a chunk of its roster to the NFL, including its elite receiving core, the head coach isn’t going with that sentiment.
“I do think we’ve got a roster full of players that believe that, especially on the top shelf, right? Those third, fourth year, even some second-year players,” Sarkisian said about his team. His roster is one of the few towering ones in CFB, ahead of the 2025 season. But the star of it all remains Arch Manning. How can he not be? He will hope to fulfill what his coach expects of the team, but not before he addresses a troubling concern lined up for him right at the beginning of the season.
New fears circle Arch Manning’s performance in 2025
Manning can play ball. There’s no doubt about it. We saw what he’s capable of in that memorable game against Louisiana-Monroe. Manning played a crucial role in Texas crushing UTSA 56-7. His first play of the game? A 19-yard touchdown to DeAndre Moore. Soon after, Manning himself ran to the end zone to score a 67-yard touchdown, putting the Longhorns at 28-7. However, we have to note that his heroics have come against unranked rivals. In 2025, Manning will line up on the field against the Buckeyes, which is an eagerly awaited game in the season. Fans are already up in arms about the broadcast of the game, particularly because this will be the first time Manning leads the Longhorns. The pressure can be a bit much for the 19-year-old star, says On3’s J.D. PicKell.
He worries people will attack Manning if he falters in that game. “If Arch Manning goes out there against Ohio State and has a stat line like that, where let’s call it one touchdown, one pick, I mean a buck 95, everyone’s going to jump on it and say, ‘Was Arch overrated? Are we sure Arch Manning is the guy? Are we sure this stat is he overhyped?’” It’s not easy to become a star in the eyes of fans. But a culprit? Way too easy. But PicKell also urged fans to “relax.” Because, who’s to say Manning can’t be a surprise and stun the crowds with his game?
But the fears still linger, because Texas will face some formidable opponents after Ohio State, like Georgia and Florida. These are big games, and Manning has to impress. The pressure is way too high on the QB, and that’s what is concerning. PicKell warned that Manning has to find his groove by December to allow Steve Sarkisian another shot at the National Championship. Because if Manning crumbles, fans will be quick to shove him down from that lofty pedestal.
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