Opposing Coaches Weigh In on Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning Hype

The attention surrounding Manning is unprecedented. Only making two starts in his college career thus far, he is entering his redshirt sophomore year as the Heisman frontrunner and under center for the No. 1 team in the preseason polls. But Manning has not let the off-the-field chaos control his persona.

According to Rittenberg, a coach soon to face Manning said that he seems like a "pretty level-headed kid" and has avoided buying into the hype.

"You've got a ton of respect for the kid, handling what is an insane situation," a Southeastern Conference coach said about Manning in the ESPN article.

Manning's only SEC start a year ago came against Mississippi State in a 35-13 victory at Darrell K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium. He completed 26 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns, also adding 33 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. This performance, by any measure, was an impressive one.

"You've got to find ways to get him off platform," Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby told ESPN in the article. "For a guy who hadn't played a ton up to that point inside that game, man, he was really, really calm. He had great demeanor, and he had command of what Sark and his staff was trying to accomplish."

Manning's development within Steve Sarkisian's system will be a clear benefit for the quarterback as he navigates his first year as a starter. He sat two seasons behind Quinn Ewers, learning the ins and outs of the offense in preparation for what is soon to come.

There will be errors from a player who is less experienced than many others at his position and on this prominent of a stage. But there will also be big-play opportunities from a guy who is as skilled a dual-threat quarterback as there is in college football.

Even so, now that Manning is the team's centerpiece, the staff is likely to be cautious with incorporating rushing moments into his gameplan, though that doesn't mean his athleticism won't be utilized.

"I don't imagine there will be a lot of designed runs. It will be Arch doing it on his own," a coach who faced Texas last season said in the ESPN article.

Only two weeks away from taking the field against the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, Manning soon will have all the preseason mayhem behind him. With expectations that are "impossible to reach," as an SEC coach put it, Manning will finally be able to let his play do the talking.