Blog Article
Texas Longhorns Arch Manning Era Is About To Change Everything
College football has a new king waiting to be crowned courtesy of the Texas Longhorns.
The Texas Longhorns enter 2025 as the consensus national championship favorite, and it’s not even close. After a 13-3 season that ended one game short of glory, Steve Sarkisian’s program has reloaded with the nation’s top recruiting class and the most anticipated quarterback in college football history.
The pressure is suffocating. The expectations are sky-high. And Arch Manning is ready.
Everyone Is Betting On Texas (And Here’s Why)
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum didn’t mince words about Texas’s title chances.
“Absolutely,” Finebaum said during a Get Up appearance. “They have Arch Manning, in case you have not gotten that email from the front office. He is expected to be much better than Quinn Ewers. I was not that impressed with Quinn Ewers last year. I think Arch Manning, had he come in during the Cotton Bowl, may have had a better shot, may have even beaten Ohio State.”
The Manning hype isn’t just media noise—it’s backed by elite production in limited action:
- 67.8% completion percentage in 2024
- 939 passing yards with 9 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
- Four rushing touchdowns show dual-threat ability
- 10.4 yards per attempt, indicating explosive play capability
On3 captured the sentiment perfectly: “Manning was good enough in his relief action at quarterback early in the 2024 season that there were at least some calls for him to take over as the starter late in the year. Steve Sarkisian stuck with Quinn Ewers, of course, but the luxury to have a backup as capable as Manning was unmistakable.”
Translation: The apprenticeship is over.
The Supporting Cast Is Championship-Caliber
Here’s what most people miss about Texas—Manning isn’t walking into a rebuild.
The offense that averaged 437.5 yards per game returns its core playmakers. The defense that allowed just 283.4 yards per game brings back its stars. This isn’t a hope-and-pray situation.
Key returnees who will define Texas’s success:
- Quintrevion Wisner (RB): 1,064 yards, 4.7 yards per carry
- Jaydon Blue (RB): 730 yards, 5.4 yards per carry
- Anthony Hill Jr. (LB): 17 tackles for loss, 8 sacks
- Colin Simmons (DE): 9 sacks, 14 tackles for loss as a freshman
- Ryan Wingo (WR): Emerging star with 800+ yards combined with Lockett
The portal additions show Sarkisian’s strategic thinking:
- Emmett Mosley (WR) from Stanford
- Jack Endries (TE) from California
- Matthew Caldwell (QB) from Troy as Manning’s backup
This isn’t rebuilding. This is reloading.
The Recruiting Machine Just Hit Another Level
Want to know how elite programs stay elite?
They sign the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class while competing for national championships. Texas just did exactly that with their 2025 class featuring four five-star prospects and 17 ESPN 300 players.
The crown jewel? Justus Terry, the No. 8 overall prospect who shocked the college football world by choosing Texas over Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn.
Sarkisian’s reaction said everything: “I thought we signed a really nice defensive lineman class with him, (Josiah) Sharma, (Myron) Charles, and then obviously our EDGE players coming in so it was a nice ending to the early signing period for us. I think it made us feel really good that this is a balanced class but we addressed some real needs and obviously in our conference it starts up front and most notably the defensive front.”
The talent pipeline is overflowing:
- Jonah Williams (S): No. 8 overall prospect, multi-sport athlete
- Kaliq Lockett (WR): Five-star playmaker
- Justus Terry (DT): Elite interior presence
- Multiple immediate contributors across both sides of the ball
ESPN noticed: “The Longhorns finished with ESPN’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, inking 17 ESPN 300 prospects and closing by winning a battle with Georgia for Terry, the No. 8 overall recruit.”
The Schedule Will Test Championship Mettle Immediately
August 30th in Columbus, Ohio will tell us everything we need to know.
Texas opens against defending national champion Ohio State in a rematch of the Cotton Bowl semifinal. It’s the ultimate litmus test for Manning and a completely retooled roster.
Why this game matters more than you think:
- Both teams return less than 50% of their production from 2024
- Ohio State lost 14 players to the NFL Draft (most in the country)
- Texas lost 12 players to the NFL Draft (school record)
- Manning has never attempted a pass in a true road environment
The rest of the schedule includes manageable non-conference games against San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston before SEC play begins. But the conference slate presents multiple championship-defining moments:
Road tests that will define the season:
- At Florida (October 4)
- At Georgia (November 15)
- At Kentucky, Mississippi State (various dates)
Home rivalries to close the season:
- Arkansas (November 22)
- Texas A&M (November 29)
Between facing Ohio State in Week 1 and Georgia in Week 12, the Longhorns won’t see a single opponent that finished 2024 ranked in the CFP Top 25.
The Biggest Concerns Are Fixable (But Critical)
Every championship contender has weaknesses.
Texas’s 2024 flaws were specific and costly: negative turnover margin (-0.3 per game), excessive penalties (6.4 per game), and red zone inefficiency in big games. The good news? These are correctable issues, not talent deficiencies.
The offensive line rebuild presents the biggest challenge:
- Four NFL departures leave massive holes
- Manning’s protection depends on unproven players
- Quick-passing game must compensate for inexperience
But there’s reason for optimism. CBS Sports noted: “A couple of tipped passes led to two costly interceptions from Ewers in that meeting. Tipped passes were a season-long issue for the Longhorns, and Manning’s mobility and pocket presence should help resolve that problem in 2025.”
Manning’s skill set addresses Texas’s biggest problems in 2024.
The Championship Window Is Wide Open
Everything is aligning for Texas to capture its first national title since 2005.
The 12-team playoff format provides margin for error previous Longhorn teams never had. The financial investment and recruiting success create sustainable excellence. The coaching staff has proven it can compete at the highest level.
Finebaum’s final verdict: “He is going to be the leader of this team. They reloaded in the portal, to the tune of many millions and millions of dollars. I think Texas, other than having to go to Ohio State Week 1, is in great shape.”
The pieces are in place. The talent is elite. The expectations are championship-or-bust.
Manning’s mobility and leadership give Texas a golden opportunity to build on the foundation Ewers established over the past two seasons. The question isn’t whether the Longhorns belong among college football’s elite—they’ve already proven that.
The question is whether they can seize their championship moment when it arrives.
The Arch Manning era begins now.
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