It’s not every day a quarterback becomes college football’s biggest headline before he even earns the starting job. But then again, Arch Manning isn’t your everyday quarterback. With a last name that echoes through NFL stadiums and SEC history books, Arch walked into Texas with more hype than most Heisman finalists. And now, as the Longhorns prep for life in the SEC, all eyes are locked on No. 16, waiting, watching, and expecting greatness.

But here’s the thing: Arch Manning isn’t acting like a guy buckling under all that weight. At SEC Media Days, he walked in calm, composed, and refreshingly self-aware. Even earlier this year, in February, he was heard saying, “I think a lot of undeserved attention.” It shows a rare level of humility for someone in the spotlight. You can feel he isn’t just leaning on his last name; he is owning where he’s at and where he wants to go. No media-trained script, just a young quarterback, raised in the game, taking it all in stride and trying to write his own story instead of just living in someone else’s.

And that brings us to what Pete Thamel had to say during his ESPN segment. “He’s the most anticipated player in college football in probably the last generation,” Thamel said. “There is a unique pressure on Arch Manning right now to go dominate college football.” That’s not your average freshman hype; that’s generational weight. But Thamel also noted that Steve Sarkisian might be setting Arch up to thrive by surrounding him with the most complete team he’s had at Texas. “They have the best defense in his tenure here. So Arch Manning is not going to have to go score 49 a game,” he said. And that, right there, is a game-changer.

Here’s what we know so far: in 2024, Arch played sparingly behind Quinn Ewers, but the flashes were real. He completed 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards, 9 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions. He added 108 rushing yards and 4 more scores with his legs. Not eye-popping numbers on paper, but for a freshman learning the ropes in a Power Five program? That’s solid, and it sets up what could be a breakout sophomore campaign.

So, Arch is set to fill Quinn’s shoes, but is that going to be that easy? Not really. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 206 pounds, Quinn racked up 9,128 passing yards, 68 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions in his three seasons with Texas. So, it’s a different kind of pressure on Arch’s shoulders. But, there’s a good thing as well for him heading into the 2025 season, and HC Steve Sarkisian recently pointed out.

Texas’ secret weapon could be the guys on the other side of the ball

Here’s the part that could really take some heat off Arch Manning: he won’t need to win shootouts every week. Head coach Steve Sarkisian made it clear at SEC Media Days: “So this is probably the deepest and most talented defense that we’ve had, and we’ve made incremental growth on the defensive side of the ball now through four years, and we’re going to need to do that again,” he said. That’s a major shift from recent Texas teams, where the offense had to bail the defense out. Now, the defense might be the one bailing out a young QB.

And Sarkisian isn’t bluffing. Texas’s defense is stacked heading into 2025. You’ve got Ethan Burke causing chaos off the edge, Anthony Hill Jr. emerging as a leader at linebacker, and Denver Harris, the former LSU standout, locking down the corner. Safety Michael Taaffe returns to quarterback the secondary, while Terrance Brooks brings more shutdown ability. “I think championships are won on the defensive side of the ball, and we’ve got a defensive football team we’re very excited about,” Sarkisian said. That’s a group that can take pressure off Arch, shorten the field, and keep games within reach, something every young QB desperately needs.

So yes, the pressure on Arch Manning is real. But this time, it’s not all on him. With a veteran defense, a smart offensive system, and a coaching staff that believes in complementary football, Arch has the rare luxury of growing into the role instead of being thrown into the fire. It’s still a Manning story, sure, but it might just be one written a little differently.