“I don’t think that’s fair to anybody.” These were the words of Arch Manning’s father Cooper in 2022 when talking about the weight of expectations on his son, who would soon move to Texas as the No.1 player in his class. Two years after biding his time and sitting behind Quinn Ewers in the pecking order, his time has finally come at Texas. Carrying the Manning name and the calls for him to start ahead of Ewers last season, Arch will be under intense pressure to deliver at Longhorns, fair or not.

When Quinn Ewers returned to Texas for a fourth season, many thought Manning would leave and frankly nobody outside the program would’ve blamed him. Yet, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning persisted and now will have his chance next season as he carries sky-high expectations and responsibility for Texas.

But is Manning under the most pressure ever experienced by a Texas QB? Well, this is what an Instagram post by Orangebloods suggested, posting a photo of the young QB which carried the words, “Arch Manning has the most pressure a Texas QB has ever had.” However, a section of fans disagreed with the notion.

For a fanbase that just spent two seasons dissecting, doubting, and demanding more from Quinn Ewers—a quarterback who dragged Texas back into national relevance—this claim didn’t just ruffle feathers, it set the whole nest on fire.

If there was ever a quarterback molded by pressure, it’s Quinn Ewers. The man had the expectations of an entire state on his back before he could even buy a lottery ticket. The last time a Texas QB had a perfect 247Sports composite rating before Ewers was when Vince Young—arguably the greatest college football quarterback ever, laced up for them. That’s the level of pressure he was under before he even threw a college pass.

Not to mention that he spent the season dealing with constant calls for Manning to replace him as the starting QB. Yet, he posted respectable numbers this season. Ewers had 3,189 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a solid 66.5 percent completion rate as he led Texas to a quarterfinal appearance in the college football playoffs.

In the quarterfinal game against Arizona State, he came clutch completing 20 of 30 passes for 322 yards, four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), and an interception to lead Texas to a 39-31 victory. Still, many labeled his season as average. No matter how he did, it seemed the critics and fans couldn’t be convinced.

From day one, Ewers literally expected to restore Texas football to national prominence. And despite the doubters, he delivered. Back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. A win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The most successful stretch of Texas football since Mack Brown’s golden years. Yet, despite putting the Longhorns back on the map, he remained an underachieving figure for Texas fans. They nitpicked every throw, every loss, every decision—because Texas football doesn’t do patience.

With Manning waiting in the wings, there was more and more scrutiny on Ewers. Even before the season and some of Ewers’s poor performances there was a clamor for Arch Manning to take his place. The QB, who will be heading to the NFL Draft this year, addressed the challenge in a pre-season interview.

“There’s pressure with anything. I think the pressure along from playing the quarterback position at Texas comes with its own,” he said.

Despite his solid showing, there were some moments that undermined Ewers, most notably in the playoff semi-final against OSU. On fourth down, Ewers was sacked, fumbled and Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer recovered, taking the ball 83 yards the other way for a decisive score to seal a 28-14 win.

Earlier in the season as well Ewers came under fire for some of his play as seen in the October clash against Oklahoma.  After returning from his oblique strain to replace Manning, Ewers made a mistake, as he ended up sailing a throw that got intercepted by Billy Bowman Jr. on just the third play of the game.

However, it seems history might be kinder to Ewers, as fans flocked to the comment section of the post claiming that Manning will have the most pressure ever for a Texas QB and pointed out the challenge that Ewers faced.

Fans stand up for Quinn: the IG backlash

The Texas fans started with, “Quinn did. Y’all ate him alive for taking you back-to-back semifinal games.” Texas fans watched Quinn Ewers carry this program to heights they hadn’t seen in 15 years—and still criticized him like he was out here missing bowl games. The man brought Texas back to national relevancy, yet some fans treated him like an underachiever. Now, all of a sudden, Arch Manning is the most pressured QB? Nah, the fans weren’t buying it.

Another fan chimed with the response, “He (Arch Manning) doesn’t have any more pressure than what he’s putting on himself. Do y’all even know anything about his family lineage? That’s his pressure! And all they are doing is providing the support around him. Trust that he’s not hearing the outside noise!!”

Let’s be real—Arch’s last name alone brings automatic pressure. When your uncles are Peyton and Eli, expectations come built-in. But will Manning’s every move be questioned like the fans did with Ewers? Likely. But there is no denying the pressure that Ewers dealt with week in and week out.

Even Manning acknowledged the role Ewers played in his development, highlighting the responsibility that was on his shoulders for the last two years. “He’s been everything for me. One thing I will say about Quinn, he’s got me more into my faith in times of adversity and when times are not going your way. That’s one thing I’m gonna always going to be thankful for, that he’s done that for me,” Manning said.

This fan bought some receipts, too. “Remember Colt McCoy going into 2009? Quinn Ewers this year? Vince Young going into 2005?” Longhorns fans know their history, and they brought receipts. Vince Young had to carry Texas on his back against USC in the greatest college football game ever. Colt McCoy had Texas in back-to-back championship hunts. And Quinn? He was expected to win immediately, in a playoff era where a single loss could tank your season. Arch? Yet to play as QB1.

But he has impressed in the limited he got. When Ewers missed two games and a half due to injury Manning stepped up. In those minutes, he threw for 939 yards on 61-of-90 passing with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 100 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 24 carries.

Another fan called out on Texas’ hypocrisy. “Quinn and half of Longhorn Nation turned their backs on him… smh.” The real ones know—Quinn Ewers got more criticism from his own fanbase than some rivals did. One bad game? Fans were calling for his replacement. That might not happen with Manning, with the fanbase likely to give him more leeway.

The Texas QB1 job will always come with insane expectations. But to act like Arch Manning is under more pressure than Quinn Ewers? That’s revisionist history at its finest. Ewers had sky-high expectations from high school, a legacy to restore, and a fanbase that was never fully satisfied with his success. Meanwhile, Arch has had the luxury of development, patience, and a fanbase that, so far, has only showered him with hope—not criticism.

Now, don’t get it twisted—once Arch takes over, the pressure will be there. But let’s keep it real. The most pressured Texas QB in recent history? That is up for debate. And if Texas fans are keeping it a buck, they owe him way more respect than they ever gave him.