A year ago, Texas quarterback Arch Manning had the weight of the world on his shoulders with a big football family name to carry amid sky-high expectations.
The college student didn’t live up to those expectations in his first full year as a starter for the Longhorns. Texas went 10–3 and missed the College Football Playoff, as Arch Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns against 7 interceptions, with a 61.4 percent completion rate.
He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy or deliver the weekly performances his uncles, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, were known for. The grandson of Archie Manning showed inconsistency and took heat from the media and fans on social media for not living up to expectations.
“What he got put through probably would have melted or destroyed 99 percent of people in his shoes,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters at SEC media days on Thursday. “All he did was stay consistent and true to who he was, which was to continue to work hard, continue to be a great teammate, try to get better, and he did.”
Arch Manning said as much, too, when he spoke with the media at SEC media days. The New Orleans native has been in the spotlight since high school as the next great Manning quarterback, and the 2026 season will be ushering in more monstrous expectations from the Heisman to a national championship.
“I’m just trying to be the best teammate I can be right now and help us win games on Saturdays and have fun while I’m doing it,” Arch Manning said. “I think the more fun we have, the better I play, and I think the better we play as a team.”
He enters his fourth season in the program as a junior. He sat behind former Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers for two seasons and took in what he could before taking the reins in 2025. The ups and downs from the Ohio State loss to the Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan gave Arch Manning a plethora of learning experiences as a starter.
“I feel like I’ve matured as a person,” he said. “Then just continue to get better, get more accurate, make better decisions, put my team in the best position possible to win games.”
Texas looks poised to be a top-five team in the preseason poll, and then there’s the expectation of Arch Manning being the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. He didn’t bite when asked about next year.
“I am just focused on today,” he said. “One of my goals this offseason was to stay present and take it one day at a time.”
Indeed, NFL teams are interested in the third generation of a Manning quarterback in the league. Archie Manning had a prolific career with the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, followed by stints with the then-Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings.
Peyton Manning turned around the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2011. He then finished his career strong with the Denver Broncos between 2012 and 2015, and he won a second Super Bowl in the process.
Eli Manning played his whole career with the New York Giants between 2004 and 2019, and he won two Super Bowls along the way. Both Archie Manning and Peyton Manning have made the Hall of Fame, and Eli Manning could be next.
While Arch Manning is more than well aware of his family’s success, he’s not letting it define him. Arch Manning’s father, Cooper Manning, notably didn’t get to play football past high school due to spinal stenosis.
“I’m trying to do better at not comparing myself to others,” Arch Manning said. “Comparison, they say, is the thief of joy. So I’m trying to not compare myself to others. I guess that’s y'all’s job.”
