Arch Manning Dealt Blunt Reality Check as He Prepares to Lead Texas

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated May 15, 2025 12:57 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns are fresh off a run to the College Football Playoff. However, there are some new faces with a ton of players leaving Texas for the NFL.

One of the departing players was quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Ewers leaving opens the door for highly touted quarterback Arch Manning once and for all.

The five-star recruit finally gets the keys to the car, and Texas fans are excited to see what Manning can do as QB1 for the entire season.

There are plenty of expectations for Manning and Texas in 2025, but Adam Breneman hit Manning with a bit of a blunt reality check in a recent episode of his show.

"There's no easing into the schedule this year," said Breneman, who played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and UMass Minutemen. "There's no warm-up games, no mid-tier opponents to build rhythm."

Texas begins with a game against Ohio State in a rematch of the Cotton Bowl.

"For a quarterback stepping into his first season as QB1, the stakes could not be higher," Breneman continued. "Texas is stepping into the 2025 season with a reshuffled roster. ... This is a fresh offense, new faces and unproven chemistry.

"The lights are on, the pressure is high, the Manning name remains front and center, but the question remains: Could this be Arch Manning's breakout year in 2025?" Brenaman concluded.

Manning, the nephew of retired NFL quarterback Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, played in 10 games last season, including two starting in place of an injured Ewers. He completed 61 of 90 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Arch Manning added 108 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

There are many things Manning has to worry about in his first year as the QB1, and new offensive personnel is just one of them.

The schedule is another as Texas faces Ohio State in Week 1. After that, it eases up with games against the San Jose State Spartans, UTEP Miners and Sam Houston Bearkats before getting into SEC play.

Texas also faces Florida, Mississippi State and Georgia on the road this year while finishing the regular season with a home game against Texas A&M, so there is a lot of pressure around Manning.

Only time will tell if he lives up to the billing or not.

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

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