Arch Manning is once again the unquestioned leader of Texas heading into the 2026 season. Though the Longhorns’ late-season surge in 2025 couldn’t earn them a College Football Playoff run, they are favorites to potentially make a CFP run in 2026, with Manning refining and expanding his playing style to make that happen.
Arch Manning Opens Up on Mental Shift After Texas’ Challenging 2025 Season
Manning missed most of spring practice because of a foot injury, but he quickly embraced his role as Texas’ QB1 after being medically cleared. He organized throwing sessions with teammates in the offseason and worked to build chemistry with a retooled group of wide receivers and running backs ahead of the new season.
Manning will enter this fall in a much stronger position with just over six weeks remaining until Texas opens the season. The ups and downs of his first full year as the starter taught him valuable lessons.
With that experience, Manning had an interesting answer when he was asked on Thursday how he had adjusted mentally and learned to play with more controlled aggression heading into the new season.
“I think just controlling the controllable,” Manning told On3’s J.D. Pickell during SEC Media Days coverage on Thursday. “Obviously, a lot can happen throughout the game, and adversity is going to strike in every game. You know, if the defense lets up a touchdown, I don’t have to go force, ‘Hey, we got to go score here in three plays.’
“Just take what’s there, and it’s easier said than done. But take what’s there and then, you know, let the game come my way.”
Manning probably hasn’t forgotten the criticism that came his way after a challenging start to last season. As the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, he became one of the sport’s biggest names long before taking his first college snap. He was seen as a Heisman contender last offseason, with SEC analyst Paul Finebaum even comparing his potential influence on college football to that of 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.
It is not like Manning totally hurt his early hype, but Texas’ season-opening loss to Ohio State and later 29-21 loss to Florida, along with uneven performances in wins over Oklahoma and Kentucky, cooled much of the early excitement surrounding him. Manning later also acknowledged that he was overly critical of himself during that stretch.
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However, Manning is now entering 2026 as one of the leading preseason Heisman candidates again and has made refining the short passing game a priority. He completed 56.3% of his attempts on throws between 0 and 10 yards downfield last season, which is an area he believes must improve.
Looking back at last year’s film, Manning also told Pickell that his biggest goal is to become more accurate while trusting the flow of the game instead of forcing plays. He wants to stay composed, distribute the ball to his playmakers, and let opportunities develop naturally rather than chase big moments.
