Arch Manning is counting hours. Texas Longhorns are now officially landing in the much-anticipated Manning era. It’s just a matter of a few months before we see the blueblood kid writing his own legacy in the burnt and orange. By what will you call him? A quarterback under the center? A top 2026 NFL prospect? A Texas GOAT in the making? Nope! A fanboy living his lifelong dream. The third-generation Manning, being totally unfazed by the passive ego of his elite last name, has been nurturing the dream to play for the Longhorns since he was eleven. In the era when a crazy transfer portal movement spearheaded by the NIL keeps the coaches on their toes, Manning stood firm in his words. “I want to go to Texas”. The covet continues, and Coach Sarkisian couldn’t hold back his true feelings while looking at the purest gem they got.

When Arch stepped into his dream school, the one he had been cheering loudly for from the other side of the fence, he was supposed to start after a year. But in reality, he had to stick to his patience for two years. Thanks to Ewers’ last-minute return for his senior season. There was a slew of coaches and schools lining up behind him to take a shot, but Manning couldn’t care less. He did his part and never complained. But if you think it’s just Arch who deserves all the credit for his loyalty and all the good work he has done silently for the school, you are partially wrong. A good family and upbringing held the key to his character and sportsmanship.

“I’ve been very proud of Arch and just through the entire recruiting process from years back, the way his parents, you know, Cooper and Ellen, handled it all, kept them levelheaded, it was never a big to-do. Even when he got here, the patience to red-shirt his freshman year, the idea that last year,” Steve said during April 28th episode of Good in the Game Podcast, “you know, he was the backup to Quinn, he came out, went in, and came back out and started two games for us and played good football for us.” During the 2024 season, Manning passed for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions with a completion percentage of 67.8. His eye-popping 67-yard rushing TD against UTSA has since been instilled in our memory.

The precision, the arm strength, the leadership, everything stood out in their own right. But what stays under the spotlight is his intangibles on the field and in the locker room. “We utilized him in some special situations. He was a great teammate the entire time. Forget the name on the back of his jersey, Great teammate, hardworking, super talented, and now it’s his time,” said Sarkisian, who was dead loyal to Quinn unless and until he left the building.

But that’s a different ballgame. Quinn has his own legacy, but Arch? He’s destined to smash every record preceding him in the race. “You know, and I think that, from a college experience standpoint, the trajectory that he’s on is the right one. We’re fortunate, you know he’s a really good one that was patient, waited his turn, and I think we’re going to reap the benefits of that,” Sarkisian said, beaming with hope.

However, Sarkisian didn’t sugarcoat while mentioning the potential bumps on Manning’s path in his debut year as a starter. He made it clear that outside the team building, people won’t be very forgiving of him. So one small mistake can trigger a huge backlash on his way. So, what’s the benchmark? What should Arch adhere to as a definition of success as a starter in Austin? The ceiling is high, and the pressure is higher.

Arch Manning needs to chase the moon to solidify his hype 

Manning got an unprecedented hype even before he showcased any potential to nail in his spot. His forefathers and uncles are enough to earn him that effortless fame and attention from the mix. But it’s not always sweet and sugary as you like. The early load of expectation made him bound to an extremely high level of output as the starter.

Cooper Manning, the NFL media mogul, knows how the ripple effect can ruin the image of his son. He said he doesn’t like the media propaganda to exaggerate his son’s potential before he even started to move the ball. A dad’s instincts know how a single mistake can go against him in the future, and all this overhyped narrative can immediately take a U-turn and hit him in the face. Cooper also expected some rookie trouble on Arch’s first year as a starter. Not because he doesn’t believe in his son’s capability, but because he knows the fine line between expectation and reality, which the fan sometimes doesn’t.

ON3’s JD PicKell doubled down on his tension, saying,  “If he has a Heisman finalist caliber season and Texas makes the national title game, at that point we can all say ‘Hey man, you’re probably ready to go pro. You probably don’t need to come back for another year. You’ve probably beaten this level. You came to Texas. You did what you were supposed to do. Did what you said. You would do to bring Texas to the front of national prominence.” Otherwise? You know the answer, right?