Coming into the 2023 season, Arch Manning, as a first-ranked recruit, didn’t see much playing time and was limited to mop-up duty behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy. 2024, again, was no better, and Steve Sarkisian still stuck to Quinn Ewers. Arch Manning described the wait as “tough” and eagerly sat on the sidelines. “It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age. But I hope it pays off…. Sometimes it’s worth the wait.” Moreover, it didn’t help that Quinn Ewers was delivering as he led Texas to back-to-back playoff spots. But now, the gates for glory have finally opened, and the sky is the limit for young Arch. Can he finally fulfill the Longhorns’ long-awaited natty dream?
Steve Sarkisian has turned around the Texas program miraculously and has made recruiting his forte. For instance, in the 2025 season, it is being reported that the program is willing to spend north of $40 million to rope in players and win the natty. All of these developments make Texas a highly touted program and have featured in the top 3 in ESPN’s latest predictions by Mark Schlabach. Now add this to Arch Manning’s hype, who, with his Manning name, is widely touted to be a Heisman contender. The pressure, then, can’t be more intense for young Arch.
We saw some glimpses of what the young QB can do after he finished with nearly 1,000 yards and appeared in 10 games, twice being the QB1. That 67-yard touchdown against UTSA would still be fresh for Texas fans, and his performance against Louisiana-Monroe? It was breathtaking as he led the team to a deserving 51-3 victory. But they are not ranked opponents, right? And we haven’t yet seen what Arch can do when he goes to Columbus in week 1.
J.D. Pickell of On3 highlighted some of the similar concerns for Arch Manning in his May 15 episode on On3’s YouTube channel. “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?” While J.D. Pickell still proclaimed fans to “relax”. But this brings up a valid hypothesis.
Texas’s schedule in 2025 may not look as tough as teams like Oklahoma. But it has Ohio State as the first matchup, which could make or break the morale of the team for good. Other games on the road against the Gators and Georgia will be a stern test for Arch Manning, and hence the concern.
J.D. Pickell clearly said that Arch Manning will need to find his “juice” by December and run full throttle if he wants to see the Texas’ natty dream fulfilled. Because if that doesn’t happen, fans unfortunately make culprits quickly, and in the case of Arch Manning? Well, the ‘hype’ bubble and Manning’s name will not shield him. Steve Sarkisian even echoed some similar concerns and challenged the QB.
Steve Sarkisian challenges Arch Manning with his recent verdict
We all know Arch Manning is a generational prodigy and everything surrounding it. But can he lead the offense? Can he produce moments like Quinn Ewers did when he threw to Mathew Golden for a touchdown against ASU with the season on line? Well, it all boils down to leadership, which Quinn Ewers showed last year. And this year? Steve Sarkisian is urging Arch Manning to do the same.
“We have players on this team who are going to be really significant contributors this fall, who in their first two years of college football have gone to the College Football Playoff semifinal. They don’t even know any different! The difference now for those guys is that their role has evolved. Anthony Hill has really got to be a leader on this team. Arch Manning has got to be a leader on this team,” Sarkisian said on the “Second Thought” podcast with Cedric Golden.
Arch Manning has every support he would want from the team. The O-line looks well-oiled, the wide receivers are perfectly tuned to his passes, and the coaches are going all in to rectify every error that Manning might make. Now, everything rests on the young shoulders of Arch Manning to take that leap of faith and produce a season that even his uncles Eli and Peyton Manning would see and say, “That is a work of art, even if I didn’t do this better.”
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