The hype around Arch Manning is deafening as he enters his first year as Texas’ full-time starting quarterback. He earned every bit of it when he shined as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class and showed promise in his few opportunities with the Longhorns, which included a pair of starts last season while Quinn Ewers was on the shelf. And there is an intangible factor that stands out to his uncle, NFL legend Peyton Manning, as a reason why he will excel in his redshirt sophomore year.
Much has been made of Manning’s decision to wait his turn at Texas rather than to seek immediate playing time through the transfer portal. Two years of development in the same system, his uncle said, is about to pay off.
“It’s more than just the football program,” Peyton Manning said to The Sporting News. “You like going to school there. You like the head coach who also calls the plays, and that creates great continuity. To me, the Kyle Shanahans, the Sean McVays — when the head coach is calling the plays — the quarterback is going to thrive in the same system every single year.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is known as an offensive guru who fielded some of the nation’s most explosive units during the Longhorns’ rise back to national championship contention. Sarkisian oversaw the first two years of Manning’s development and could cater the offense to his skill set as a terrific passer with game-changing speed. Manning’s comfort and experience within the scheme could lead to a fruitful starting debut.
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“The fact that this will be Arch’s third year in that system, he’ll have great knowledge of the system — still hasn’t had on-the-field game reps as I’m sure he would have liked, but those will come this year,” Peyton Manning said. “There will be things for him to learn, but I’m proud of him for his commitment and I’m looking forward to watching him play.”
If the 2025 season goes according to the loftiest of expectations, Manning will flourish as a premier NFL Draft prospect and emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the class. He has long carried first-round upside as a gifted athlete with a legendary NFL bloodline.
Manning has plenty to accomplish in college before the NFL comes calling, though. He holds a modest 12 games of experience with only two career starts, and he only threw 95 passes across the last two campaigns. The sample size is small, but it indicates a bright future for the leader of the Longhorns’ offense. He is a career 66.3% passer with 969 yards and nine touchdowns to two interceptions.
One of Manning’s top highlights came last season on a breakaway run, which accounted for a large chunk of his 108 rushing yards on the season. He found the end zone four times with his legs and entered multiple games to operate run packages.
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