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Armed with Arch Manning, Texas is ‘Stacked with Talent,’ Says SEC Assistant

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kyle Wood | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Texas fans have been looking forward to the Arch Manning era ever since Peyton and Eli’s nephew committed to the Longhorns in 2022.

Texas is the only team in the country to have reached the College Football Playoff in 2023 and '24, even though Manning played sparingly. And still, the word out of Austin, Las Vegas and around the SEC is that Manning has the goods to win the Heisman Trophy and deliver the ’Horns their first national championship in 20 years.

“Right now, the belief is that Arch [Manning] will elevate the offense immediately, and you can expect a much more dynamic scheme from Sark [Steve Sarkisian],” an anonymous SEC assistant coach said in Athlon Sports’ 2025 College Football Preview magazine. “This kid is a legit, Heisman-level package. Provided he produces at that level, the offense will be even better. They’re stacked with talent.”

These comments were made in Texas' exclusive scouting report in Athlon’s annual magazine, which is available for purchase online and at newsstands nationwide.

Expectations for Manning are high, given that the Longhorns made the CFP semifinals in consecutive seasons. However, the Longhorns did lose several key players to the NFL. Left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and leading receiver Matthew Golden were both taken in the first round of the draft. Tight end Gunnar Helm went in the fourth, and quarterback Quinn Ewers was selected in the seventh.

Texas averaged 30-plus points per game over the past three seasons with Ewers under center. Manning — the top-ranked player in his recruiting class — might take things to another level with the addition of tight end Jack Endries (Cal) and wide receiver Emmett Mosley V (Stanford) coming to Texas via the transfer portal.

The Longhorns also beefed up their defensive front on the transfer market with the addition of Maraad Watson (Syracuse), Cole Brevard (Purdue) and Travis Shaw (North Carolina). They’ll be joining forces with All-Americans Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill Jr. in the front seven. Only three teams had more sacks a season ago than Texas, which finished No. 3 in scoring defense.

“They could have one of the best defensive lines in the entire country,” the SEC assistant said. “They have next-level pass rushers and the size and physicality to win against the run.”

Sarkisian signed the No. 1 high school recruiting class this past cycle, further evidence that heis building a sustainable winner in Austin amid a constantly changing college football landscape.

“This program is one of the most effectively run in terms of personnel, NIL and the new era of the sport,” the assistant coach said. “If Manning blows up and goes to the league next year, this is still the program to chase. They’re professionalizing in a way other programs aren’t.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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