Texas Longhorns’ head coach Steve Sarkisian has given an update on quarterback Arch Manning’s post-season surgical recovery and how the QB’s spring football training will be impacted as a result.
In an interview with ESPN on Thursday February 26, 2026, the college football head coach revealed updates on Manning’s medical status and how he feels the quarterback will perform moving forward with the team. Here’s what to know about Arch Manning’s current status and future outlook with the Longhorns.
Arch Manning is Out of a Post-Surgical Boot
GettyTexas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning
Good news! Arch Manning is out of the post-surgical walking boot he was seen wearing shortly after announcing his surgical procedure following his inaugural season as starting quarterback for the Longhorns.
Speaking to ESPN, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian downplayed the seriousness of Manning’s surgical procedure, saying, “He had a lingering thing that he’d been dealing with over a couple of years that we just wanted to clean up. It wasn’t a serious issue at all. It takes time. You do a procedure on a foot, we’re going to be cautious to make sure he’s 100% healthy before he goes.”
Due to the head coach’s stance on prioritizing recovery, Manning will have limited time for training in the spring as he continues to rehabilitate his foot. Hopefully, though, additional time regaining strength and mobility in his foot will prevent further injuries experienced by Manning and will allow for more field time in the long-run.
Manning Went Through ‘Growing Pains’, says Sarkisian
GettyArch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns walks up the tunnel after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl on October 11, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Despite a rocky start to the 2025 season, the Texas Longhorns’ quarterback did seem to find his groove by the end of his first season as the team’s on-field signal caller. Sarkisian chalked up Arch Manning’s performance in his first season as a starter to being a period of ‘growing pains’ that ultimately paid off for both Arch and the team-at-large.
“Having a year under his belt and us struggling as a team kind of offensively the first half of the season, and him going through the growing pains in the end, it was a good thing,” revealed Sarkisian. In his 2025 season, Manning ran for 10 touchdowns, and he passed for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns, per ESPN.
Speaking to the positive outcomes of Manning’s up-and-down 2025 season with the Longhorns, Sarkisian continued by elaborating, “I think he gained a lot of confidence in the second half of the season, and I think we learned about him, he learned his style of play, and he came back with a really good mindset. This is his team. … In the end, naturally, he wants to go win a championship. The rest of the things will fall into place, but that’s where his mindset is. He’s the ultimate team player, and it shows every day.”
To make up for the training time Manning will lose out on while he prioritizes his post-op recovery, Sarkisian is hopeful that the additional time FBS teams now have with players during the summer break will compensate.
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