Texas' Arch Manning ready for his chance to be a starter: ‘Sometimes it's worth the wait'
It wasn't always easy, Manning said Thursday afternoon in his first media appearance of the spring with local reporters in Austin. But as the calendar turns to the 2025 season and the Manning era officially begins, college football's most famous quarterback sounded confident in his decision and excited about what's to come.
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'It was tough. I mean, it's tough in this age,' Manning said of the waiting. 'But I hope it pays off. There's nowhere else I want to be. I want to be at Texas. I've got friends here; I love this place. So I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas.
'Sometimes it's worth the wait.'
Manning, grandson of Archie, nephew of Peyton and Eli and son of Cooper, takes over for the Longhorns with expectations sky-high in Austin, where Texas hasn't won a national title since 2005 but is among the favorites this year. Under Ewers — who is now NFL-bound — the Longhorns made it to a national semifinal of the College Football Playoff at the end of the 2024 season before falling to eventual national champion Ohio State by two touchdowns. The Longhorns and Buckeyes will open the 2025 season against each other in Columbus in what no doubt will be an early litmus test for Manning.
For now, Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian remain focused on spring practice, which is already about halfway complete for the Longhorns. So far so, good for Manning, who hasn't shied away from his new role — even talking a little trash along the way.
'I think Arch is a naturally competitive guy. And I've said this before, he's got a very infectious personality. I think people gravitate to him,' Sarkisian told reporters Tuesday. 'And one of the things I see right now is naturally, he's leading a group of maybe some younger players, especially the skill spots. … His confidence helps them.
'But I also see a competitive spirit affecting the defensive side of the ball. I think they like competing against Arch. I think they know he's gonna talk a little smack to them. … Every day is competitive because they know 16's gonna bring it. And if he gets 'em, he's gonna let 'em know about it.'
Manning enters the 2025 season having appeared in nine games with two starts, leading the Longhorns to victories against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State last fall while Ewers was injured. Manning was 61-of-90 passing for 939 yards and nine touchdowns against two interceptions in 2024. He rushed 25 times for 108 yards and four more scores. In 2023, he attempted just five passes and completed two.
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Sarkisian said this week that Manning's energy has provided a nice spark for veteran defenders who have seen plenty of spring practices in their day, including junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., junior defensive back Malik Muhammad and senior defensive back Michael Taaffe.
Perhaps most importantly, Manning's ability to handle the spotlight has served him well — even if at times the celebrity-level of attention has frustrated him.
'That's been tough,' he said. 'I think I have good people to lean on for that type of stuff. But … I can't quit doing normal things. I'm gonna go eat dinner with my buddies and be a normal college kid.'
As the Longhorns wrap up spring practice this month and then turn their attention to summer workouts and preseason practice, all eyes will continue to be on Manning. He's already the betting favorite for the Heisman, per BetMGM, and is hoping to take the Longhorns to places they haven't been in two decades.
In the meantime, there's one more thing Sarkisian is helping his young star get ready for.
'The boos are gonna come here pretty soon, too,' Sarkisian said, laughing. 'I love our fans. They love the backup quarterback, but they hate interceptions, so those are coming.
'I think the good thing for Arch is he's been exposed to a lot. It's no secret who his family is, it's no secret who his uncles are, who his grandpa is, who his dad is. I think he's been exposed to a lot. And handling himself in a way I think is important to him.'
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