Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was expected to walk on water.
Manning became the talk of college football as soon as he committed to Texas in June 2022 — and actually before that, given his last name. Archie Manning is his grandfather. Cooper Manning is his dad. Eli Manning and Peyton Manning are his uncles.
The weight of a multi-generational legendary football lineage sat on a 21-year-old’s shoulders as he took his first snap as Texas’ full-time starter against the then-defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30, 2025.
Manning struggled in the season-opener. He threw for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 56.7% completion. Above all, he looked flustered, missing layups that he’d completed with ease thousands of times before.
On Wednesday, Manning shared the reason behind his early-season struggles.
“I think I could have had more fun,” Manning said, per ESPN’s Dave Wilson. “The first half of the season, I was pissed. I wasn’t playing well, and it wasn’t fun for me. And then I kind of sort of said screw it and had a little more fun and started winning some games.”
The Longhorns went 6-1 down the stretch, including a 41-27 win over Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and Manning reasserted why he was considered a preseason Heisman favorite. Against Michigan, Manning went off for 221 yards and two touchdowns through the air and 155 yards and two touchdowns as a runner to win the Citrus Bowl MVP.
Funny how that happens: If you allow a young player space to gradually find himself, he eventually does.
Manning is expected to be in the thick of the Heisman race, even if the Longhorns likely won’t be the preseason No. 1, as they were last year. The pressure isn’t going anywhere, but with one year of overcoming outsized scrutiny under his belt, Manning seems more prepared to play through it.