Expectations have surrounded Arch Manning since the day he signed with Texas. Now, as the heir to Quinn Ewers, he steps into his first season as the starting quarterback of the nation’s No. 1 team with a statement that reveals the mindset inside the Longhorns’ locker room.
“I think we kind of try to shift the narrative,” Manning said Monday during media availability. “We’re going for everyone else. The target’s not on our back; we have a red dot on everyone else.”
“The target’s not on our back. We have a red dot on everyone else.”
– Arch Manning
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 26, 2025
Arch’s chilling words set the tone for what could be a defining year in Austin. Texas already owns the preseason AP Top 25, and that is for the first time in program history.
However, that also means carrying the burden of lofty expectations for the Arch Manning-led team and Steve Sarkisian at the helm, which few teams in modern college football have successfully managed.
In 2017, a preseason No. 1 Alabama went on to win the national championship, with USC in 2004 being the only other program this century to pull it off.
Manning’s debut comes under the brightest lights possible. The Longhorns open the season against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday in a game that will pit the AP Poll preseason topper against the reigning national champions in a Week 1 clash loaded with College Football Playoff implications.
While many view Texas as the team everyone wants to topple, Manning made clear that the Longhorns’ approach is anything but defensive. What follows could determine how long Texas stays in the driver’s seat of the championship race.
Arch Manning Has One Key Factor That Worries Analyst Colin Cowherd Ahead of 2025 Season
Arch Manning carries not only the weight of a national title chase but also the label of projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with the top NIL valuation in college sports at $6.8 million, according to On3.
Even Colin Cowherd, who typically leans toward skepticism, found little to critique about Manning heading into the year. However, during his appearance on the “Joel Klatt Show,” he admitted there’s one thing that makes him uneasy.
“I worry about him being too confident and not sliding. Because he’s really athletic,” Cowherd said on The Joel Klatt Show. (7:01)
The longtime host pointed to moments from last season as evidence.
“A couple of times last year, I’m like, ‘Bro, it’s like Lamar Jackson first year. Get down. Stop running into linebackers Justin Herbert.’ That’s the only thing I worry about. He’s gonna be so amped up and so fired up that he’s just not gonna slide and he’s gonna do an Andrew Luck and give someone the shoulder.”
Manning’s skill set explains the temptation with the blend of strength and speed, which is part of what makes him such an awe-inspiring prospect. However, for Cowherd, protecting himself is the key to ensuring Manning can actually deliver on the hype that surrounds both him and the Longhorns.
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