In the 2024 season, Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian faced a tricky quarterback situation. An experienced, albeit injured, Quinn Ewers vs. the quietly developing 19-year-old prodigy, Arch Manning, waiting for his moment. Now that Ewers is gone, it’s all eyes on Manning. The head coach is already full of praise for his quarterback, who is eager to embrace the QB1 role. “Are the physical tools there? No doubt about it. Is the work ethic there? No doubt about it. Is the brain there? No doubt about it. But what I probably appreciate most about him—it’s the personality.”

Finally, Arch will have the chance to prove himself worthy of the Manning dynasty established by his uncles, Eli and Peyton, and his grandfather Archie. Forget just college football; the young Manning already has the NFL looking his way. But it’s time for him to shift into first gear, because the road ahead involves a triple blow. Even the fans are likely to put extra pressure on him.

Spring woes overload for Arch Manning

Now, carrying a heavy last name has its own pros and cons. The Texas QB is the sole torchbearer of the Manning legacy right at the moment. Yet, he’s never let the pressure get to him. Rather, he turned heads with some fabulous feats last season. Against Mississippi State, Manning completed 26 of 31 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns, boasting an impressive 83.9% completion rate. And how could we forget about his feat against UTSA? The young chap completed 9 of 12 passes along with FOUR TOUCHDOWNS! So, now the analysts are aware that nepotism attacks never stand a chance when it’s about Manning. Analyst Thor Nystrom is already seeing him in the NFL, with the New Orleans Saints. 

On April 11, he tweeted a step-by-step blueprint for the Saints’ HC Kellen Moore. “Step 1: Rule Carr out for the season Step 2: Announce Spencer Rattler as QB1 Step 3: Earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft  Step 4: Be a major player in free agency next spring by using rolled-over cap relief from Carr missing previous season Step 5: Draft Arch Manning.” But it’s not the right time for Manning to spend his energy and focus on what’s yet to happen. After all, the present situation looks worrisome….

On the April 17th episode of the On3 podcast, analyst J.D. PicKell, sounded an alarm for the Longhorns quarterback. He stressed, “Around Arch Manning, the receiver position is a little bit limited.” Now, this might come off as a surprise to the Longhorns fans.

This is the fourth consecutive year that we have seen Texas look to the portal for a potential impact wide receiver. The latest one to join Sarkisian’s crew is Emmett Mosley V from Stanford. But PicKell came up with a concerning update: “Emmett Mosley is gonna be a guy that transfers in and is successful for you, but he’s not partaking in spring practice right now.”

Well, spring practice is the best time to work on the quarterback-wide receiver compatibility. The Longhorns fans must be wondering, ‘then let’s count on Ryan Wingo.’ After all, the sophomore comes with great hands and a good release, qualities that saw him play over Isaiah Bond late last season. The Longhorns also have junior WR DeAndre Moore, who’s constantly working on the jugs machine. Moore and Manning have built a strong connection since the latter’s freshman year. But there too, luck runs thin.

PicKell noted, “Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore are both individuals you expect would be like your number one and number two receivers next year. But they’re being limited during spring practice. So all that’s to say, what Arch is doing right now during spring, as solid as for him to get reps with these other receivers, I don’t know that you necessarily able to see the full horse power of what the Texas offense is going to be.” While Manning needs to prepare himself for his professional blockades, he must mentally train himself for the bitter offerings that come with his position.

Does Manning have the mental toughness for this?

Manning is only 19, but he’s already making waves in NIL. With just two career starts, he’s ranked No. 1 on On3’s NIL Valuation list at $6.6 million. But the young player still keeps his fans in mind. His recent deal with Panini America included a nice touch. As Manning said, “Launching my memorabilia collection with Panini America allows me to share a deeper connection with fans. Panini has a long history of working with athletes all over the world for autographed memorabilia and I’m excited to be a part of that group.”

According to On3 reports, an autographed photo starts at $699.99, and jerseys and helmets begin at $999.99. But there’s also a downside to having so many fans. Being relatively new to college football, Manning might not fully grasp how demanding fans can be. On3 Texas football analyst Jeff Howe offered a reality check for the Longhorns’ QB, starting with, “Name me a Texas quarterback, other than James Street, (that hasn’t) been booed in this stadium.”

It turns out even the best weren’t immune to fan frustration. Howe shared, “Even the great ones. Vince (Young) remembers when he got booed. Colt (McCoy) can remember a time when he got booed.” Former Texas star James Street had an undefeated 20-game run as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback from 1968-69. That kind of run is far less likely in today’s college football.

But Arch Manning needs to mentally prepare himself. The analyst stated, “Everybody’s been waiting for him to make this jump to be on the national stage, but it’s different when you’re the starting quarterback at Texas when there’s a fanbase as big as Texas, an alumni network, you’re the flagship school in the state—the state most associated with football in the United States—so there’s a lot that goes into it.” Quinn Ewers handled the heat and shone, but with the starting spot finally his, that Manning name, and topping the NIL charts, you got to wonder if Arch is truly ready for all that pressure.