newsweek
Arguably no college football player entered last season with more pressure on their shoulders than Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
Deemed home run Heisman Trophy winner and no doubt No.
1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Manning didnt quite live up to the hype.
The 22-year-old signal-caller got off to a rocky start in Texas season-opening loss to Ohio State, and it took him several weeks before he started playing up to his potential and fans got off his back for a few disappointing starts.
During a recent interview with Noah Gross of KXAN, Archie Manning, Archs grandfather, revealed that he was frustrated in the number of fans and analysts who were building Arch up to be the second coming before his first season as a starting QB.
I was kind of disappointed in a lot of, just a lot of people, Archie said.
The whole thing.
They kind of crowned Arch before he ever played.
And I just didnt think that was fair.
Yeah, it was a little tough start, played a great team, and anyway.
But Ive never been more proud of anybody in my life with the way Arch battled through what he had to go through last year, and the way he played, you know, the last eight or nine games of the season.
In his first year as the Longhorns starter, Arch threw for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while rushing for another 399 yards and 10 more scores.
He led Texas to a 10-3 record and fifth place finish in the SEC.
UT knocked off Michigan 41-27 in the Citrus Bowl, building even more excitement for Year 2 of the Arch era.