“Such a diva” “corny”: Fans react as Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian opt out of EA Sports CFB 26 cover shoot at the Rose Bowl

Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian are locked in for the 2025 college football campaign. Manning is set to enter the season as the Longhorns' undisputed starter while Sarkisian is aiming for a long-overdue National Championship.

According to On3 Sports, the Texas duo chose not to participate in a cover shoot for College Football 26. The shoot was scheduled at "The Rose Bowl", but the Texas Longhorns' head coach and starting quarterback opted against the shoot.

Upon hearing the news, fans had mixed feelings about the move.

"Such a diva," one fan said.

Another called the move "corny".

Another said, "They think they are important lol"

Some fans were more positive, however. They said,

"Smart move. They ain’t distracted by a mid video game."

Another stated, "They want to ball in real life!"

One summed it up, "he aware about the curse 😭"

Arch Manning is gearing up for his first season as a full-time starter for the Texas Longhorns. He has been Quinn Ewers's backup for the past two seasons, soaking up knowledge in Sarkisian's system.

However, now that Ewers is in the NFL, it's Manning's team for the foreseeable future. Sarkisian will look to tinker hid offense in such a way that the team will benefit from Manning's dual-threat ability.

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Arch Manning's former teammate was on the CFB 25 cover

The Texas Longhorns are no stranger to seeing their star quarterback at the forefront of a video game. Outgoing starting quarterback Quinn Ewers was one of three main cover stars for EA Sports' CFB 25. The other players on the cover image were Colorado's Travis Hunter and Michigan's Donovan Edwards.

Ewers went on to have a decent but unspectacular season with the Longhorns. He posted a stat line of 3,472 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Miami Dolphins selected Ewers with the 231st pick of the 2025 draft, and he'll likely back up Tua Tagovailoa for the 2025 NFL season.