Arch Manning’s 2025 season was way more bumpy than everyone had expected. The Longhorns were ranked as the pre-season No. 1 team in the country, and the quarterback had the best odds to win the Heisman. However, as a first-time season starter, the young star had to go through trials and tribulations, fueled by huge expectations. Looking back, Arch Manning’s grandpa, the legendary Archie Manning, opened up about how the media set him up for struggles by giving him too many “crowns” before he even suited up.

“I was kind of disappointed in a lot of people,” the 77-year-old said, as per WGNO Sports. “The whole thing kind of crowned Arch before he ever played, and I just didn’t think that was fair.”

Archie did not like watching sports shows or reading social media posts that criticized his grandson after only a few bad quarters. It was even worse when an unnamed NFL scout said the player might not be mentally strong enough. Some even went as far as to call him a “flop” after his early struggles.

Despite all that criticism, the former quarterback said he was still very proud of how Manning handled everything.

“I’ve never been more proud of anybody in my life than Arch,” he saud said.

Notably, even before Quinn Ewers declared for the NFL Draft, the media practically “crowned” Arch as the next NFL savior before he even started a single college game. Not to mention, among all the QBs making their debut as full-time starters, nobody had a harder launch than Arch.

However, instead of dwelling on the extra scrutiny and letting the early struggles define his season, Archie actually locked in and decided to change the trajectory of his season.

“I think anytime you just get game experience, whether it’s good games or bad games, it helps you,” the Texas Longhorns player said. “And I’m just trying to get better one day at a time. Any way I can, I’m continuing to just be myself, not try to be anyone else, play within myself, and trust my teammates, trust the coaching, and just trying to get better each week.”

The mindset certainly paid off.

Arch Manning finished the season with 36 overall touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. By the time the final whistle blew for the season, the signal caller had guided the Longhorns from a 3-2 start to a 10-3 finish.

Now, heading into another season, Arch Manning is once again the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Eyes will certainly be on how that pans out.