Texas Longhorns Quarterback Arch Manning Reveals SEC Talents He Models Game After

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning took the podium on Tuesday for SEC Media Days with no shortage of buzz surrounding the first-year starter.

Manning enters the year with significant media attention after waiting his turn behind Quinn Ewers across the last two seasons.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is at the top of the 2025 Heisman Trophy odds, 2026 NFL Draft conversations and more, but he's focused on "walking the walk" before buying into the hype.

“I think you got to walk the walk first,” Manning said at SEC Media Days. “I think as much as it wasn’t always fun to sit in those two years.

"I think I got a lot of respect for my teammates, coming out of this from a place of love, not just being a turd.”

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky hopped on Get Up on Monday where he stated Manning "must be the best quarterback" in 2026.

“(Arch Manning) absolutely has to be the best quarterback, because they are the favorite in Texas to win the national championship,” Orlovsky proclaimed. “No. 2, the best quarterback in the country that no one talks about is in Columbia, South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers. I would agree that probably the best quarterback in the country now, right now, is Garrett Nussmeier.

“Arch Manning is more than likely going to be awesome, but we don’t know about Arch Manning. I’ve seen Nuss, late in games, 3rd-and-9, have to make a big throw and get it done. I watched the LaNorris Sellers finish with four straight wins for South Carolina in the SEC, and go for over 300 yards a game.

“I think Arch has got this expectation, and there’s probably no quarterback in the country under more pressure than Arch Manning. But there are five or six other quarterbacks that are much more proven, at least right now in college football.”

During Manning's appearance at SEC Media Days, he revealed a pair of former SEC quarterbacks he models his game after: Joe Burrow and Cam Newton.

He's watched film of the Heisman Trophy winners as he prepares for his first season as the starter in Austin (Tex.).

The Texas Longhorns remain a favorite to win the Southeastern Conference Title heading into a highly-anticipated 2026 season.