Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning weighs the world on his shoulders as he gears up for a season in which he is already being lauded as the savior of Texas Longhorn football and a generational talent, despite never having started for a full season in his collegiate career.
Now, former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who knows a thing or two about dealing with the hype, is providing fans with his expectations for Manning this season.
“I think with the people that he’s had around him, the way that he was raised, the way that he’s grown up, I think he’s prepared for what he is getting himself into,” Manziel said in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“But when it comes down to it, it is SEC football. They are going to scheme for him, they are going to be prepared for him. They know what kind of quarterback he is. So you’re getting everybody’s best shot.
“You’re starting off the season at the top of the board. You know who’s coming for the top of the board? Everybody below you.”
Manziel isn’t the only one expecting big things from Manning. Draft Expert Mel Kiper already has him as the number one quarterback prospect in the 2026 class.
“We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense. Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have…” Kiper said, per The Spun.
“We don’t know if he will develop into that because he only has 95 career pass attempts… But for right now, you have to put him in one.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Manning looks in his season opener against the reigning champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.