Arch Manning is finally the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. After two long seasons of sitting behind Quinn Ewers, Texas will turn to its former No. 1 recruit to start the upcoming season.
Manning also happens to come from the most famous quarterback family in football. He’s the son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, and now the face of Texas football.
Expectations for Manning this season are relatively high. With SEC title hopes and a Week 1 clash against Ohio State looming, the hype train around Manning is picking up speed. However, Manning did not get the starting position because of his last name. A college football analyst breaks down his game play and warns the fandom about the hype.
How Will Arch Manning Handle the Hype and the SEC Gauntlet?
College football analyst Jordan Rodgers was recently on the “Crain & Company” podcast. On the show, Rodgers decided to take the veil off the Manning hype. When Rodgers was asked if Manning could lead Texas to a national title, he simply said, “This year? No.”
“I think the hype train is out of control,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s unwarranted.” While Rodgers does rank Manning fifth among SEC quarterbacks, he is not convinced that the Longhorns are playoff material this year because of him.
While Rodgers did praise Manning’s “high floor” and rhythm passing when kept clean in the pocket, the unfortunate side is that “mechanically… he doesn’t have that John Mateer, Quinn Ewers, or Garrett Nussmeier ability to throw in a phone booth.”
Manning struggled quite a bit against Georgia when things went south. His off-platform throws looked rushed. He had that “deer-in-the-headlights” vibe. While that’s understandable for a young quarterback, Rodgers warned that “he’s going to need to put on a Superman cape” to carry this 2025 Texas squad.
The numbers back up the caution. Manning’s 2023 season barely existed, totaling just 30 passing yards. In 2024, however, he showed flashes of brilliance. Against UTSA, Manning had 223 passing yards, 53 on the ground, and five touchdowns.
He earned SEC Freshman of the Week and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week honors. So, there is no denying that the tools are there.
ARCH MANNING HAS ARRIVED. TD TEXAS🔥 🙌
FIRST TEXAS TD FOR ARCH 👏
(via @InsideTexas)
pic.twitter.com/0vsv0LtQgJ— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 31, 2024
Replacing Ewers, whom the Miami Dolphins drafted, isn’t the only challenge the Longhorns face.
What Challenges Await Manning and the Reloading Longhorns?
Texas lost its top three receivers, four offensive linemen, and key defensive starters. Even with players like sophomore Ryan Wingo and junior DeAndre Moore stepping up, Manning’s team is still finding its rhythm. But expectations continue to rise.
As per ESPN’s reports, 96 out of 204 media votes picked Texas to win the SEC this year. That’s more than Georgia. It is way more than Alabama. Manning is already mentioned in the early Heisman Trophy chatter. All this is being done before he even started a meaningful SEC game. So, Rodgers’s skepticism is not without reason.
Now with the Heisman hype, let’s not forget that the SEC is loaded with quarterback talent. Nussmeier put up over 4,000 yards last season at LSU. Mateer is coming off a 44-touchdown campaign for Washington State, but he’s now at Oklahoma.
In comparison, Manning has two career starts. To make things worse, the gauntlet ahead awaits Manning, and it is far from easy.
Who has the better season, Arch Manning or John Mateer?
Give me Mateer!https://t.co/B7ibaWQe8a pic.twitter.com/8oux2jHvLU
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) July 18, 2025
After the Longhorns’ opener against Ohio State, they have SEC showdowns with schools like Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas A&M. It is one of the most demanding schedules in college football. Any slip along the way, and the title talk will fade fast.
As Rodgers puts it, “If this was last year’s Texas team, I’d say maybe he could manage them to a playoff.” He went on to add, “But now? He’s going to need more than a Manning name. He needs to be Superman.”
That is the biggest question: Can Manning live up to the legacy and carry a reloading Texas team through the SEC fire? Can he do better than the Longhorns’ 13-3 season in 2024? Well, ready or not, on August 30, the Buckeyes await him.
