"Really becoming leader of the team" - Steve Sarkisian shares update on Arch Manning as Texas Longhorns' QB1

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has been receiving a lot of hype ahead of the 2025 college football season as the departed QB Quinn Ewers' heir apparent. In two years in Texas, Manning has been a backup to Ewers, showcasing his talent on the rare occasion when the former QB1 was injured.

During a segment of Friday's NFL Network from the scouting combine, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian shared a positive update about the popular Manning's standing in the Longhorns dressing room.

“I’m excited for Arch,” Sarkisian said. “I feel like his progression has been perfect. A chance for a couple years to be with Quinn and to A, learn who we are systematically. But B, just to watch how Quinn has handled things. Quinn’s journey was not the smoothest, right? But how Quinn handled it, I think, was good for Arch.

“We’re watching him in winter workouts and offseason stuff really becoming the leader of the team, like the quarterback has to be,” Sarkisian said. “And he has such a great personality that I think his teammates really respond to him, the coaches have started to respond to him. So I think things are off to a really good start for him.”

---

Coach praises Arch Manning's growth

Last season when Quinn Ewers was injured, Arch Manning stepped in and performed admirably, leading to calls for him to be elevated to QB1. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian resisted those calls and stuck with Ewers as his QB1 and Manning as his able deputy.

Manning shunned the spotlight during his tenure as backup, with his family even briefing the media that the QB1 spot belonged to Ewers. During Thursday's segment of SportsCenter, Sarkisian revealed how those experiences helped Arch Manning mature.

“This guy has really grown up in our program,” Sarkisian said. “You know, he was the guy that was so fired up, every gameday, he showed up. But I think he saw the value of learning and kind of taking heed to what Quinn was going through.

"‘Okay, how would I handle those situations?’ And so, I think we’re getting a guy that might be a first-year starter, but, yet, kind of has the experience of what it’s going to feel like to handle some of those situations as they come up.”

Steve Sarkisian has all but crowned Arch Manning as the Longhorns' QB1, and the pressure to execute for the quarterback is mounting. According to BetMGM, he's the favorite to be the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner (+800), ahead of LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (+850).