“Never had an ego”: 2024 Jim Thorpe winner Jahdae Barron drops an eye-catching remark on Arch Manning’s mentality as he gears up to lead Texas

Arch Manning has faced high expectations from the moment he stepped into Texas for the first time. Manning has barely played for the Longhorns, but it already feels that over the last two seasons, a fair amount of the media coverage around Texas has been about him, which was expected due to his famous last name and his connection to his uncles Peyton and Eli Manning.

Now, as he prepares for the season in which he finally will become Texas's starting signal-caller, there are questions of whether he will be able to rise to the level of expectations the world of college football has set for him.

Former teammate and Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron believes he will and that it is all down to Manning's mentality.

"When Arch (Manning) came in, he never had an ego. He was never too high, never too low. Always smiled ... That's a great kid, all he does is work," Barron told Kay Adams on Up & Adams on Tuesday.

Last season, as backup, Arch Manning took over for Quinn Ewers halfway through a game against UTSA early on in the season due to an injury of the starting quarterback. He also started the two following games against Lousiana Monroe and Mississippi State. Through 2024, he recorded 939 passing yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions for a QBR of 87.57.

Steve Sarkisian praises Arch Manning's humility through his development process

Someone else who highlights Manning's humbleness is none other than coach Steve Sarkisian. During a pre-spring practice press conference, the Longhorns coach said the following:

“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.”

Many predict a great 2025 season for the young quarterback. At the moment, Arch Manning is expected to go toe-to-toe with LSU's Garrett Nussmeier as the favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy.