The Texas Longhorns are entering their “Arch Manning era” following the 2025 NFL Draft. When Quinn Ewers, a former Longhorns quarterback, was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, fans knew that Texas would be on the shoulders of the Manning family prodigy, Arch Manning.
Manning is in line for a great breakout season this upcoming college football campaign. This year could land Manning in the top five of the 2026 NFL Draft class. However, this college football analyst broke down why Manning doesn’t exactly have to be “elite” himself for the Longhorns, and still have a great year.
Why Texas Can Win the SEC Without Arch Manning Playing Like a Superstar
Well-respected college football analyst J.D. Pickell recently explained why Manning just needs to play his part for Texas to thrive in the SEC. He doesn’t need to be one of the sports’ top quarterbacks for Texas to play well.
“Hear me clearly, Arch Manning I think will be good, but he can be mid and Texas will still be competing for an SEC Championship,” JD PicKell says. “That’s not to knock Arch Manning, I think he will be excellent. But even if he’s not awesome, Texas has what they need around him, especially on defense, so that they can make this thing home.”
“I think about it this way, y’all remember those group projects in college or high school,” says PicKell. “There’s always one or two people who are just dialed in. They are the honor student or they get straight A’s… They’re kind of going to carry this project. We all know those projects don’t take five people. It’s really two and some change that do all of the work.”
“Arch Manning is the three-slide PowerPoint guy. Arch, get up there, know what you have to do, deliver it clearly and concisely, don’t mispronounce any words, let’s maintain good eye contact, good presentation skills, we don’t need you to give us the preface for 15 minutes.”
“We don’t need you to walk us through the entire concept of this whole thing. Get up there, do your three slides, and make sure you do it well. But if you do that, we’re going to be okay.”
“The reason why I feel that way is because last year, Quinn Ewers was out there playing for a majority of the season with half an oblique… It’s hard for me to look back on last year from September through November and point to a spot where I say, ‘Quinn Ewers did that, I don’t know if Arch can do that.’ Then you combine that with the reality that Arch Manning’s legs add something to the game as well, it’s neither here nor there.”
It will likely be challenging for fans to manage their expectations for Manning. Manning’s name is considered royalty in football circles, and he demonstrated immense talent when given the opportunity last season. Manning stepped in for Ewers in the first quarter of the game against UTSA after Ewers sustained an injury.
KEEP READING: Todd McShay Promotes Arch Manning Could Be the Most NFL-Ready Prospect in Years Amid Growing Questions
Ewers then missed the next two games, which led to Manning’s first two starts. During these three games, Manning threw for 806 yards, completed eight touchdowns, and had two interceptions, achieving a completion rate of 69.4%.
He also averaged 8.2 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns on the ground. Notably, Manning surpassed 220 passing yards in all three games, whereas Ewers did not reach that mark in three consecutive games last season.
As Pickell noted, Manning will face an early challenge as Texas opens the season on the road against Ohio State on Aug. 30 at noon ET.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
