On paper, a bright future awaits Arch Manning. But how much of that is true? After Quinn Ewers left for the higher echelons of the NFL, Steve Sarakisian’s dilemma might have come to a close. However, for Manning things have only gotten harder. While the Longhorns seem ready to step into a historical era of the program with the QB under center, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. Firstly, he has yet to prove his skill and ability on the bigger stage as a QB1. Moreover, he can’t do it alone. He needs his weapons on the offense, who as per an insider will be harder to achieve than it looks…

Notably, Texas has lost a series of key receivers lately. For starters, Isaiah Bond became the fourth Longhorn junior to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. He had transferred from Alabama ahead of the 2024 season, and finished with 34 catches for 540 yards and five touchdowns for Sarkisian’s team. Currently, though, he’s taken his services to the NFL Scouting Combine, running a time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, falling short of Xavier Worthy’s 4.21 by 0.2 seconds. The player reportedly met with 13 different NFL teams and also made a “strong impression”. And then there’s Johntay Cook II, who left the Texas program in the middle of the 2024 season to join the Washington Huskies. As per reports, the player also left his new team in January this year, and is currently in the transfer portal.

On the other hand, star wide receiver Matthew Golden also declared for the NFL Draft, after what was a stellar lone season with Texas—after leading his team in receiving yards (987) and receiving touchdowns (9). So, all in all, Manning seems to have quite a dearth of experienced receivers to spruce up the offense. Analysts have already sparked doubts over the receiver depth chart. But it seems there is still some hope. Ryan Wingo, the sophomore receiver in 2025, just had LASIK eye surgery. He suffered from some vision problems last year. With a clearer vision, he is expected to bloom to his full potential. But that’s not all. Horns have more strength in their WR room than we realize from the surface.

On the March 16 episode of the On Texas football, Jeff Howe expressed hope about Sarkisian’s talented WR room. ”We figured Ryan Wingo would be a big part of these. Parker Livingstone would also be a big part of these. DeAndre Moore, obviously we know he’s going to miss spring ball with the toe injury. Aaron Butler’s name has come up, though. He’s a guy that…Is he gonna be much longer for this program? Like where is his role? Has he been recruited over? But at least for these throwing sessions, from what you’ve been hearing, he’s running with that first group with DeAndre Moore out.’‘

Wingo, the 6’2″, 210-pound key offensive weapon in Sark’s elite offense, has been a dynamic playmaker. He finished his true freshman season with 29 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns. 2025 can be a great stage for him to set the early momentum for an unprecedented career.

However, CFB insider CJ Vogel seemed to express a bit of doubt initially, “I was told, if Texas had a football game this weekend, the three wide receivers that they would be trotting out on the field would be Ryan Wingo. That’s a given. Parker Livingstone, and Aaron Butler…Now, it’s all about how would they perform on the field because that’s part of it. You hear all about how they’re progressing behind the scenes, what do they sound like in terms of connection with the quarterbacks, and then, what does it look like when they’re on the field. Well, we’ve yet to see what it looks like on the field for two of those wide receivers.”

He also pointed out the positives: “For two of those wide receivers, Ryan Wingo obviously, but for two of those guys, it does sound like there are some positives. And Butler specifically, that’s a great sign for him with three really talented freshmen coming in four total wide receivers in the mix right now at wide receiver for this group,” Howe continued. Butler and Livingstone could use more development with their route running and blocking in this offense. Texas has a game next weekend, and there is reason to be excited about the receivers’ output in alignment with the quarterback and the entire offense.

Sark has more tools in his yard. Addressing the loaded chart, analyst Howe added, ”Kaliq Lockett, Jamie Ffrench, Daylon McCutcheon, Michael Terry III are going to be with the wide receivers. So [at] that position, there’s going to be a lot of competition.” However, there will still be some bumps in the road for Manning’s excellence in the first year as a starter at Texas.

Arch Manning seems to be destined to face challenges in his early stint as a starter 

The extra load of the big last name might get the better of him, flipping the media narrative in seconds. This is something his father, Cooper Manning, has in his mind, too. After all, the over-expectation and the rookie attempt in the most pivotal position in the team don’t go hand in hand. If Arch continues to win games at Austin, leading the offense in 2025, it will be a banger, but it’s not something you can bet a dime on.

Despite Manning’s progress, even his staunch supporter, Coach Sarkisian, acknowledges the challenges ahead. The Texas quarterback should tighten his belt to face criticism, intense judgment, and growing pains—especially as the program transitions into the SEC.

“There’s going to be bumps in the road, that’s part of it,” Sarkisian said. “I’d love for him to go out and throw a touchdown every pass that he throws. But that’s not a reality. And he’s going to hear the murmurs from the crowd, and that’s part of it, too.” In other words, Coach Sarkisian subtly told the fans to limit the hype train and keep their expectations in check to avoid early disappointments.