Going into the 2025 season, there was a lot of hype around Arch Manning. Texas started the year ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, which brought a lot of pressure, not just from fans and the media, but probably from Arch himself too. His first big game was against the defending national champions, Ohio State. If Texas had won, it would’ve kept the Manning family legacy alive and boosted Arch’s draft stock. But things didn’t go that way.
Arch had a rough start in that game. He only completed 56 percent of his passes for 170 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. His only touchdown came late in the game when the outcome was already decided, so it didn’t really mean much. It wasn’t the kind of game most people expected from a quarterback with such a famous name.
After that shaky start, Texas went on a three-game winning streak. But the teams they played such as San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston aren’t exactly tough opponents. All three of those teams had a combined record to finish the season of 7-26. During those games, Arch threw eight touchdowns and two interceptions, and averaged 239 passing yards a game. The wins helped, but since the competition wasn’t great, people still wondered if he was really ready.
By Week 6, Texas dropped out of the top 25 rankings, and questions started about whether Arch was overhyped. Texas was ranked No. 9 then but lost to unranked Florida, which added fuel to the critics. Still, the week after that, with less pressure, Arch and the Texas running game came together and beat No. 6 Oklahoma 23 to 6.
That win kicked off a four-game winning streak, including a close upset over No. 9 Vanderbilt in a 34 to 31 shootout. Arch threw three touchdowns and passed for 328 yards. Texas looked strong early, leading 17 to 0 in the first quarter, but Vanderbilt came back hard in the second half. Luckily, Texas recovered an onside kick late to help seal the win.
Then came a tough game against Georgia. Arch faced a lot of pressure from one of the best defenses in the country. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 251 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He stayed accurate even though some receivers dropped passes, but the offensive line struggled and he took three sacks. Georgia’s defense kept him under constant pressure, forcing mistakes. Plus, Texas’s running game wasn’t great, which made things even harder.
This season has shown that Arch Manning is still growing. The hype may have made expectations too high, but he’s got the talent and the tools to get better. Fans and critics should give him time to develop.
Arch finished the regular season with a big upset win over No. 3 Texas A&M, 27 to 17. That game showed why fans should stop being so hard on him and give him space to improve. Arch is a redshirt sophomore in his third year at Texas. He redshirted in 2023, learning the game and getting stronger while playing just two games. In 2024, he was backup to Quinn Ewers and started two games when Ewers was hurt. Now, in 2025, he’s the full-time starter. With that kind of experience, it’s clear Arch is still learning and getting used to leading a big program. With more time, he can grow into the quarterback Texas and its fans want him to be.
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