Arch Manning, the boy from Louisiana, New Orleans, is a prodigy in the making. But he is known for his last name more than his potential. Which adds a bit of glamour to the equation. And, with this Glamour comes the added pressure to live up to his Manning legacy. Who can fault any Longhorns fan to see another potential Payton or Eli Manning donning the Orange and White? But, it seems like the boy has a lot on his plate, with analyses coming from all directions. The question then is? Will Arch be able to live up to his Manning name?

The short answer for any Longhorns fan would be a table-thumping ‘yes.’ But, for others, it would be a dive into stats and numbers.

Steve Lasson, an analyst who works for Athlon Sports, was asked in a YouTube video if Arch Manning can deliver up to the standards of Quinn Ewers. He replied, “I think there’s got to be like not long-term but short-term (pressure on Manning) especially when you’re season openers against Ohio State at Ohio State and in the SEC. Even though this year was pretty favorable for Texas, I mean, it’s still the SEC, and it’s pretty unforgiving as far as opponents, so if the development window is a little bit larger than we think…”

“…And this goes, you know, we talked about Nico and his development. Maybe it takes a little bit longer than we think; there’s a ton of pressure. I think that’s the other thing. There is a ton of pressure on his shoulders.” Steve is quite right here because even though he played 2 and a half games in the 2024 season, where we saw flashes of his capability, we haven’t seen him perform regularly. So, pressure will be on him to perform. But there’s a silver lining too…

Steve Added, “(Arch Manning) handled it well so far. It’s going to go to another level this offseason once we get closer to Media Day predictions coming out. Texas is one of the Front Runners to win the national title, so it’s already at level 10. It’s going to go to level 100 in a matter of months“. And while it may seem a bit off-putting that a young boy has been unfairly hyped up, which may lead to him underperforming in games. But, hear this…

Manning’s father has probably made one of the boldest comparisons of Arch Manning till now when he was interviewing the KC Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy. Xavier, a former teammate of Manning at Texas State, had a playful exchange with Cooper Manning when he was told, “Arch says he could probably beat you in a 10-yard dash.” Xavier, with a smile, replied, “Arch probably can give me the 10; Arch is fast.” To which Cooper jokingly added, “Then it’s over.” Xavier, fully agreeing, quipped back, “Yeah, then it’s over.” But of course, you might be wondering—does Cooper Manning’s claim actually hold any weight?

Well, for context, last year only at the NFL Combine, Xavier ran for 44 yards in exactly 4.21 seconds. Which also led to him breaking a pre-existing world record by John Ross of 4.22 seconds. This essentially means that Xavier Worthy is fast as a bullet. And he also plays in the NFL, for that matter, where the stakes are very, very high. But that doesn’t mean Arch can’t run. Because in his starting game against UTSA this season, he scored a 67-yard touchdown.

That saw him running at a top speed of about 20 miles per hour. So, who is the fastest? Well, it’s like comparing apples and oranges. Because, for one, Xavier is a receiver that needs explosive pace. Arch Manning is a quarterback who needs high-speed sprints, but that’s not the primary thing needed in a quarterback.  Moving on, let’s see what the future holds for Arch Manning and Longhorns in 2025.

Texas Longhorns’ Prospects in the 2025 Season

Texas Longhorns finished the 2024 season, finishing 13-3 in their first year in the SEC. They lost their Conference championship game against Georgia Bulldogs. Furthermore, they also couldn’t make it past the semifinal in playoffs, where they lost 28-14 to Ohio State. But their season wasn’t worrisome by any standards at all. And here is why…

For starters, their starting QB Quinn Ewers was injured after just two games. He did come after 3 games’ absence. But, he wasn’t able to match the standards to which he performed earlier in the 2023 season. Or the initial 2 games. Furthermore, Texas State also had one of the best defenses in the season. Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahde Barron, along with Michael Taaffee, formed a formidable defensive lineup. However, the most important thing that happened to Texas State was something different.

They are now the major powerhouse of college football. They were the only team to reach the playoffs amongst the four 2023 semi-finalists. Furthermore, they are ranked number one in the 2025 recruitment class. Amongst several additions are 5-star Jonah Williams (Athlete), 5-star Justus Terry  (DL), 5-star Kali Lockett (WR), and 5-star Kade Phillips (Safety). These additions not only provide the Longhorns to be title contenders in 2025. But also provide Arch Manning with the requisite personnel to perform efficiently.