After Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, all eyes have shifted to Arch Manning, who’s been patiently waiting in the shadows.
The QB, who’s entering his third year with the Longhorns, was regarded as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023 and shared playing time with Ewers last season after redshirting his true freshman campaign.
Texas QB Arch Manning’s New Partnership With Red Bull
Manning started two games when Ewers was out due to injury and played in several others, throwing for 939 yards, nine scores, and two interceptions. He also ran for 108 yards and scored four more scores.
He is now expected to be front and center in Austin, Texas, and is headed toward the starting job, so the NIL deals have begun rolling in. On Jan. 30, Manning, in a shared post with multi-billion giant Red Bull, shared a promo clip on his Instagram, which was captioned:
“Target locked, wiiings secured.”
Apart from this new partnership, Manning has big deals with Panini America and EA Sports, where he promotes his avatar in College Football 25. The Texas QB also has the highest NIL valuation of any college athlete, worth $6.6 million, according to On3.
His NIL value is more than $2 million higher than the next closest athlete, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who’s sitting at $4.3 million. He’s also made $2.4 million more than Miami QB Carson Beck ($4.2 million).
Fans and analysts alike are confident that the QB will take head coach Steve Sarkisian to his first national title. But to achieve that goal, Texas needs to fix its offensive line, as CFB insider Pat Forde put it.
MORE: Arch Manning Makes Eye-Catching Remarks About Texas Head Coach Heading Into 2025
“They [Longhorns] need to rebuild their offensive line,” Forde said in a Yahoo! Sports YouTube video on Jan. 24. “Any quarterback can look suboptimal behind a bad offensive line, but it’s hard to believe Texas would have a bad OL. Just maybe a young one or one that needs to come together a little bit.
“But between Arch’s athleticism and the passing ability that we’ve been able to see, which hasn’t been a ton, and the maturity level and everything else, I think the expectation is that he steps in and is immediately one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
Texas, who ended 2024 at 13-3, will begin the 2025 season and the Manning era on Aug. 30 against Ohio State in Columbus.
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