Longhorns' Arch Manning Sends Strong Message Ahead of Season
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Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns are heading into the 2025 college football season as one of the top contenders in the nation.
Many believe that the Longhorns are the team to beat in the SEC. It is also widely believed that Manning will be a legitimate contender to win the Heisman Trophy.
While the hype is high surrounding the team and quarterback, that hype will need to be proved right on the field. Steve Sarkisian's squad has the talent necessary to win a championship, but talent does not always equate to results.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Photo byOver the last two years, Manning has been learning from the sideline behind Quinn Ewers. The hype has been very high even though he has not played a lot.
Read more: Paul Finebaum Reveals Texas Longhorns' Biggest Threat in SEC
Last season, Manning received some valuable playing time. He completed 67.8 percent of his pass attempts for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions, while also running for 108 yards and four more touchdowns.
Heading into the 2025 season as the starter, Manning spoke out and sent a bold message.
"Now you kind of get to lead the whole group," he said. "I spend time with the defense, the O-Line. Last year, I was taking notes from Quinn (Ewers), seeing how he did it and trying to find my role. Now I can take full gauge and try to spend as much time as I can in the offseason with everyone."
He also spoke out about his process to get to this point and how he now has to be the leader for Texas.
"I think you've got to walk the walk first," Manning said. "I think as much as it wasn't always fun sitting those two years, I think I got a lot of respect from my teammates. Now coming out of it, it's from a place of love."
Read more: Texas' Arch Manning Makes Bold 2026 NFL Draft Statement
Manning sounds ready for the moment. He sounds prepared to take over as the clear-cut leader for the Longhorns. That is exactly what Sarkisian needs him to be.
Sitting on the sideline is not easy for any player. Despite the desire to play, Manning trusted the process and stayed in the place that he knew was best for his future. Now, he has a chance to see that pay off in 2025.
It will be interesting to see if he's able to live up to the hype that has surrounded him for years. He's saying all the right things, but now he will need to show the right things during games.
For more Texas Longhorns and college football news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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Crawford's forced incompletion rate of 28% ranks No. 1 among returning SEC corners. His allowed completion percentage of 40.6% is also the best mark in that group. He only allowed 13 catches all year with 19.1 snaps/reception, ranking second among returning SEC corners. Crawford played just 267 snaps, fewer than most of the guys on this list, but he'll be a full-time starter in 2025. His lone bad game came vs. Texas A&M, where he allowed over 100 yards, but Crawford was near perfect outside of that. I expect Crawford to be All-American in 2025. 1. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee Jermod McCoy transferred to Tennessee ahead of 2024 after a standout freshman campaign with Oregon State in 2023. The adjustment to the SEC was seamless as McCoy emerged as one of the top defenders in the conference. McCoy broke up six passes and picked off four. McCoy was targeted a lot, 62 times, but he was a playmaker when the ball was thrown his way. He forced 12 incompletions, which was one of the best marks in the SEC. There's one hang-up here, though. McCoy tore his ACL in January, and there's a chance he's not ready for week one. But that's not enough to keep McCoy out of the top spot. Assuming McCoy's recovery is smooth, he's the best corner in this conference. Tennessee's defense was stout in 2024, and while some key pieces are gone, McCoy gives them a chance to be top-notch again in 2025.
