How has Texas QB Arch Manning looked so far in Longhorns spring practice?
With Longhorns spring practice underway, all eyes are on new Texas QB Arch Manning as he takes over a team that made it to the college football playoff semifinals last season. Manning started two games last year for Texas, but has primarily been backup to Quinn Ewers during his time in Austin. So how is he doing so far? Reports out of the 40 Acres suggest the celebrity quarterback is handling spring drills very well.
Manning's leadership abilities have already been discussed this spring. On Off the Edge with Cam Jordan, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Manning's leadership, "I think we've got a quarterback in Arch, and I think we got a great leader who does things the right way, but I think he's also surrounded by a really talented football team."
Sark says despite Manning's fame, he stays grounded through his work ethic and teamwork. 'From the day he arrived, there's been a real sense of humility about him,' Sarkisian told KXAN-TV reporter Noah Gross. 'If you didn't know the last name, you didn't know the face and you just looked at the body of work and the teammate that he is … I just continue to see a guy who has taken it and trying to really go for it.'
On the field, writers that cover Texas daily have been impressed with Manning's arm and general demeanor. Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com says Manning looks like a seasoned vet. "Arch Manning looked the part on Day 1. He looked like a veteran," Richardson said. "He looked like it wasn't his first rodeo. And as we know, it's not his first rodeo because he got two starts last season. Throwing the deep ball he looked fantastic. He had an amazing over-the-shoulder pass to Ryan Wingo. He threw the short routes especially well. Had a nice pass I saw to freshman Daylon McCutcheon."
Sarkisian has raved this spring about Manning's maturation process. "All those natural things that a quarterback has to do to instill belief in his teammates, to instill belief in the staff, he's doing it," Sark said. "But more importantly, for him, which I love, he's having fun doing it, and doesn't feel like he's working this. He's playing the game of football. He's being a great teammate."
According to David Eckert of the Austin American-Statesman, Manning has lost a little bit of weight. "Manning, notably, took three pounds off his frame after playing at 225 pounds in 2024, according to an updated roster provided to the media," Eckert said. "He wasn't perfect with his throws Tuesday but showed every bit of the arm talent that has him rated among the top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025."
Manning will continue to prepare for the upcoming season on the Texas practice fields for another couple weeks this spring as the Longhorns prepare for their Aug. 30 opener at Ohio State in the Horseshoe.
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