After the Texas Longhorns named Arch Manning as their starting quarterback, all eyes turned to him. However, that won’t distract him, and according to former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, Manning can stand out in the 2025 season.
Manziel experienced almost the same situation when he played college football. For him, the feeling of having all fans expecting a top performance in 2025 is nothing new. The question is: Can Manning repeat what Manziel once did?
A big vote of confidence for Manning
According to Bolavip, the Longhorns aim to win the NCAA National Championship, which is also Manning’s biggest dream. That’s why he is focused on improving his performance.
Manning now faces a huge challenge: the Longhorns will open the 2025 season against the defending national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, on their home field.
Arch Manning’s deep ball was on FULL DISPLAY at his first practice as Texas’ QB1.
Manning reportedly showed up to fall camp with “more muscle” than he’s ever played with in his career.Manning’s arm talent has reportedly taken a “clear leap” from last year’s fall camp to this… pic.twitter.com/Ru2s2GsEty
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) July 31, 2025
Expectations for Texas remain sky-high. The AP Coaches Poll ranks the team number one, which puts Manning under even more scrutiny. That pressure could weigh heavily on the 21-year-old quarterback.
Manziel said: “I think being seventh or eighth best in the SEC isn’t what we’ll see… I think he’ll finish among the top three in the SEC when it’s all said and done.”
This statement shows Manziel’s strong confidence in Texas’ new quarterback. Still, everyone must wait for the college football season to start to see what Manning truly brings to his team.
