A
rch Manning is entering his second season as the full-time starter with the Texas Longhorns and his fourth year at the university.
Expectations for Manning reached a new level at the beginning of last season. When things didn’t go smoothly right away, he quickly became the target of criticism.
That comes with carrying the Manning name. As the nephew of quarterback legends Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of Archie Manning, expectations have followed him throughout his football career.
Despite all the outside noise, Archie said he was especially proud of the way his grandson handled the pressure.
Archie Defends Grandson
During an interview with Noah Gross of KXAN, Archie said he was “disappointed” that so many people had already “crowned” Arch before he even had a chance to play at Texas.
“I was kind of disappointed in a lot of, just a lot of people,” Archie said. “The whole thing. They kind of crowned Arch before he ever played. And I just didn’t think that was fair. Yeah, it was a little tough start, played a great team, and anyway. But I’ve never been more proud of anybody in my life with the way Arch battled through what he had to go through last year, and the way he played, you know, the last eight or nine games of the season.”
“They crowned Arch before he ever played,” Archie Manning on the unfair expectations around his grandson last year.
High praise for the way Arch battled through the 2025 season.
“I’ve never been more proud of anybody in my life.” pic.twitter.com/WgFR1jhaTb
— Noah Gross (@noah_gross27) June 26, 2026
Manning’s Journey at Texas
Arch committed to Texas knowing he would likely sit for a season or two before becoming the starting QB in Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
He redshirted his freshman season and served as the backup during his sophomore year, which was technically his first season of eligibility. As a redshirt junior, he finally took over for Quinn Ewers as the starter. Although Texas got off to a slow start, Manning found his groove over the final seven or eight games of the season, including the team’s bowl victory over Michigan.
Manning completed 61.4% of his passes last season for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He also brings a different dynamic than his uncles ever did with his ability to scramble and make plays using his legs.
He rushed 92 times for 399 yards and 10 touchdowns.
2026 Outlook
Manning will still have another year of eligibility after this season if he chooses to return. That said, the growing expectation is that, if all goes well, he will be one of the top picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
As for the Longhorns, they once again enter the season with lofty expectations after missing the College Football Playoff last year. Manning is at the forefront of those expectations, as fans in Austin believe this could be the year Texas makes a legitimate run at a national championship.
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