Arch Manning: rising beyond the spotlight and steering Texas toward a title originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In a sport obsessed with trophies, odds, and digital hype cycles, its easy to forget the truth that has shaped every great quarterback before him: development isnt always linear, and growth isnt always glamorous. Arch Manning may not be a Heisman contender anymore, but that does not mean his story has dimmed. In fact, it may be getting good at exactly the right time.
After an uneven start to the 2025 season, Manning has settled into something far more valuable than a solo awards campaign; he has settled into the role of a complete college quarterback. Over the past four weeks, he has delivered nine total touchdowns to just one interception, guiding Texas through a defining stretch of wins over Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. The mistakes that once rattled him now seem to bounce away; the pressure that once stiffened him now sharpens him.
On the year, Manning has thrown 18 touchdown passes and six interceptions, adding six scores on the ground. But the raw numbers only tell part of the story. His footwork has quickened. His pocket poise has matured. His timing with receivers has finally reached the rhythm Sarkisian envisioned when he recruited him to Austin. Most importantly, Manning is beginning to elevate the talented roster around him, not just surviving games, but shaping them.
And now comes the next chapter: Georgia.
Its the kind of measuring-stick game that can determine an entire season. Texas is talented enough to make a push for the College Football Playoff, and Manning is now playing with the calm fire of a quarterback who understands the moment rather than fears it.
Arch Manning may be out of the Heisman race, but he is very much in the fight for something bigger: a national championship.
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