"He just showed up early": Texas insider details Arch Manning's leadership qualities ahead of the 2025 CFB season

Arch Manning is one of the most hyped-up returning players for the 2025 college football season; while many attribute it to his ties with one of the most iconic football families, others advocate for his hard-working and humble demeanor.

Analysts like Josh Pate and Paul Finebaul even compare the Longhorns QB hype to former Gators star Tim Tebow, who is considered one of the best players to ever set foot in college football.

While it took Arch Manning two years to finally be named the starting quarterback, he is not taking it for granted. According to college football analyst Justin Wells on Friday's "Inside the Program," the Manning prodigy is taking his role as a leader very seriously and is keen on setting a good example for his teammates.

"The hype is real with this guy. Yeah. And, you know, it's funny, because I think the hype has been real within the team. He is a very special talent. And what's funny about this is that it's it's known it's his team. It's not like he had to stand up and go, Okay, guys, I'm a starting quarterback. Now I'm a leader."

"He didn't do anything like that. He just showed up early. He did what he usually does, and everyone is following suit. And so Arch is being Arch, and you love to hear that because they've lost a lot of receivers in the last two years, but Arch Manning is at his status quo right now, like we try to minimize the hype, but man, when we hear what we hear from the people we truly trust. It's hard to contain ourselves." (1:50)

Arch Manning draws major praise from Steve Sarkisian

Arch Manning is a nephew to football legends like Eli and Peyton Manning, hence, one might assume the Longhorns QB would have an inflated ego. However, his head coach Steve Sarkisian, never fails to advocate for Arch's humble demeanor and share how nice of a teammate he is. Last week, he told the media:

“The thing about Arch is this, from the day he arrived, there’s been a real sense of humility about him.

"If you didn't know his last name and didn't know the face, and just looked at the body of work, the teammate that he is, the work ethic that he has, his commitment to his craft, his commitment to his teammates. This process has been underway for a couple of years."

The Longhorns will kickstart their 2025 college football season against the defending champs Ohio State in Columbus.