Pressure Mounts Arch Manning As Steve Sarkisian’s Double 5-Star Boost Comes With Dangerous Expectations

The Arch Manning era in Texas has officially kick-started. He is stepping up as the biggest leading light of the Longhorns after Quinn Ewers passed the torch. In the 2024 regular season, most of the Texas narratives revolved around the quintessential Quinn Ewers vs Arch Manning debate. Steve Sarkisian had been stubborn with his Ewers decision despite the QB1 losing tempo with many injuries. His strained abdomen against UTSA paved the way for Arch Manning to take over the offense as the backup and overshadowed Ewers’ rank within a couple of games.

Now, it’s a new era, new beginning. There is no ambiguity. Steve Sarkisian has handed over the keys to Manning, and of course, with the new season still months away, the only thing that’s building up is the hype around the Longhorns’ QB1.

Arch Manning is on the cusp of handling some wild expectations 

As the Longhorns brace up for a breathtaking rematch against Ohio State next fall, Manning is shaping up to be the ultimate talking point for his first snap as the undisputed QB1. Alongside all the rosy expectations, there comes a huge pressure that is daunting yet justified. Manning has patiently waited for his turn in the overwhelming era of swiping schools amidst the NIL allurement. Now, it’s time for him to take the world to the storm.

”The only person in college that can stop an Ohio State repeat is Arch Manning; at least, that’s what’s what Vegas thinks. Lucky for us, they play in week 1 in 2025. The Arch Manning hype has never died down, and it’s for a good reason. In just 90 attempts this year, he had 13 total touchdowns, a 68 per cent completion rate. If you calculate his stats over 16 game season, relative to Quinn Ewers passing and rushing attempts, Manning would have racked up 5000 total yards and 50 touchdowns, better than any of this year’s Heisman finalists,” said Adam Breneman.

Projections of Texas as the early 2025 preseason favorite for the national title, mostly due to Manning, underscore the weight of expectations.

But thankfully, Manning is well-aware and accustomed to the realm of high expectations. His blueblood family legacy and the constant eyeballs on his recruitment process have already prepared him for the big spotlight even long before he tied down to Texas.

”ESPN has him as a frontrunner of next year’s Heisman, and Sports Illustrated said he already looks like the number one overall pick,’‘ Breneman added. With only two starts and fewer than 100 passes under his belt, the surrounding buzz has hit a fever pitch. However, in the NFL context, there is a high alert for Steve Sarkisian. NFL biggies like McCoy are simply in awe of Manning’s potential. The money on the table will predictively be huge, with teams lurking behind the bar. It’s up to Sarkisian to safeguard and retain his honeybee for a projected championship run. There will be a few ifs and buts in the equation, but with the recent development in the depth chart, Manning is in a good space to follow through with the expectations.

Arch Manning’s depth chart shows signs of a strong start

There have been some good debates suggesting Manning won’t be favoured as Ewers in terms of a king-size depth chart, as many of the Texas key cornerstones have left the chart alongside the former QB1. Concern brewed up around the QB room. While Owens was a four-star recruit, having him come off the bench in place of Manning for any mishap to the QB1 and expect to get the job done doesn’t sound very promising for Texas fans. Tatum, on the other hand, hasn’t seen the field much this season and, hence, can’t be a very reliable option as a primary backup on a national title aspirant team next season. So, they clearly need support behind Arch Manning.

But if you look at the offensive line, Texas is already blazing, settling bricks for their big vision. They added two five-star receivers on the board. Pleasant Grove’s Lance Jackson is a new five-star recruit at Austin. He is not just a talent house. The tackles and sacks leader of the past season has been an abundant source of intangibles in the game, remarkably helping in the enhancement of the team’s overall quality.

Another newbie five-star making the rounds is Kaliq Lockett, the prized receiver, who finished his high school career with a solid stat and is now ready to step into the critical Arch Manning era in Texas and ace in his rights.

Having said and done it all, Manning won’t find the task easy. But when did he sign up to take up an easy job? Come on!