In recent seasons, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has done a good job of turning the Texas Longhorns into a powerhouse. Despite not winning a National Championship, the Longhorns won the Big 12 Championship in 2023 and reached the CFP semifinals.
Then, in their first season in the SEC in 2024, they narrowly lost the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and reached the CFP semifinals again. Heading into next season, the team will look to improve on its success with a new QB1, Arch Manning.

Steve Sarkisian Praises Arch Manning as He Gets Ready To Take Over the Starting Job at Texas
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Sarkisian sat down for an interview with Orangebloods.com. In the interview, he spoke glowingly about Arch Manning and how he has not let the weight of being a Manning stop him from being a great player, teammate, and person.
.@CoachSark details what recruiting process was like with Arch Manning…
“I’ve recruited a lot of quarterbacks in my time… they can be difficult, they can be tough but with Arch it was so NORMAL.”@TexasFootball @heykayadams @ArchManning | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/VpQkYDv7Gt
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 20, 2025
“You know, with Arch, I would say this. First of all, with the recruiting process, it was the most normal recruiting process. I’ve recruited a lot of QBs in my time and had some great ones and they can be difficult. They can be tough. With Arch, it was so normal. Great family. Great home life. When he got here, if you didn’t know he was, you would’ve just thought he was another freshman trying to earn his way,” Sarkisian said.
“It wasn’t about the name on the back of his jersey. It was, ‘How can I help? What can I do? Can I be a great teammate? Nobody works harder. Not in the weight room, not on the field, not in the classroom, not studying. But what I love about him is his connection to his teammates. This guy gets along with everybody, super competitive, got way more swag than his uncles.”
Sarkisian stated, “He’s got the athleticism of his grandpa. But at the end of the day, I think that one of the things a QB has to do, and I think it goes unnoticed at times. A QB’s real job is to instill belief in his teammates, in the coaches, in an organization, and in a fanbase. Arch does all of those things.”
Manning will take over the starting job at Texas next season, barring injury. After playing two seasons behind Quinn Ewers, Ewers is headed to the 2025 NFL Draft. So, nothing is standing in Manning’s way to the starting job.
SARK REVIVAL: Arch Manning Says Steve Sarkisian’s ‘Competitive’ Attitude Elevates Texas
While he started a few games last season while Ewers was hurt, he has never started a full college season. So, seeing how Manning handles that new challenge will be interesting.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!