No needs for Hogs to concede to Manning what hasn't been earned

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Kent Smith | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 12:09 PM ET

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If there is one game Arkansas fans seem willing to concede this upcoming football season, it's the late November showdown against Texas in Austin.

It's not because it's the Longhorns or they're afraid of the coaching of Steve Sarkisian. The Hogs have beaten up on Texas pretty regularly over the recent past at a dramatically higher rate than their in-state counterparts, the Texas A&M Aggies.

No. The concession appears to be because it's finally Arch Manning's time to shine at quarterback for the SEC's newest addition. After two years of watching and learning, he finally gets his chance at running the Longhorns' offense full time.

It's not just Arkansas fans who seem to be in awe. There are those who want to go ahead and give him the Heisman Trophy and the national championship simply by default because of the last name splashed on the back of his jersey.

Archie Manning, Arch's grandfather and namesake, perhaps accomplished the greatest feat of all the Mannings by making old school Ole Miss football watchable by the masses. He threw for 4,753 yards in three seasons and ran for another 821 for a total of 56 touchdowns in a time when offensive production was nowhere near what it would become in the 1990s and beyond.

His uncle Peyton was so dominant at Tennessee that most have a memory of him winning the Heisman Trophy, although that never happened. They also remember him winning a national title, but that didn't happen either.

While he was closer than any of his other family members, Peyton finished second in the Heisman race in 1997 to Michigan defensive back Desmond Howard. As for the national championship, he never could figure out how to beat those Steve Spurrier Florida teams, so while the Volunteers were dominant, they weren't dominant enough.

The Volunteers didn't win the national title until the year after Peyton left for the NFL thanks to the infamous "Stoerner Stumble" against Arkansas that is forever immortalized in the Brandon Burlsworth biopic "Greater."

As for Eli, much like his older brother, his ultimate fame and success came as a Super Bowl winning NFL quarterback. He upheld the family tradition of not winning the Heisman, nor a national championship while at Ole Miss.

Perhaps his most famous moment came in a loss — a seven overtime slugfest with Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones that saw the Razorbacks come out on top.

So, with none of his more highly decorated predecessors having won a Heisman or a national championship, it leaves a bit of wonder as to why so much is automatically expected out of the latest Manning.

Both Peyton and Eli started all four years and Archie started all three seasons he was allowed to play in lieu of the freshman rule of the time that prevented him from taking the reins his first season. Yet, here it is Arch's third season before he's even won the starting job and he's being given bigger concessions than any of his more famous relatives.

He was unable to unseat Quinn Ewers, a seventh round pick in the NFL draft who struggled to maintain consistency. In fact, all anyone knows Manning can do is rack up yards against Group of Five teams and find success against Mississippi State, a team new coach Jeff Lebby drug from next to the bottom of the league to the SEC cellar in his lone season as head coach.

His only appearances against legitimate SEC defenses in spot duty, Manning went a combined 6-for-12 for 38 yards while taking a pair of sacks. Those were equal 3-for-6 performances against Georgia and Florida.

Now, this isn't saying the odds aren't in favor of Manning putting up insane numbers like his other family members. This is just to say the weight of the family name is a lot to carry on top of being the quarterback at Texas.

There's no doubt Manning is going to work hard and bring his best. However, until he's actually proven it on the field under the bright lights, teams shouldn't be condeding anything.

The best approach is to punch him in the mouth as hard as possible and see how he holds up. If he earns it, then he earns it, but for right now, he's two years behind the great careers of his uncles for which everyone else seems to willing to crown him.

If he beats Arkansas, then so be it. It just needs to be earned on the field first and not in people's heads.