SEC Coaches Dish on Arch Manning as Texas QB1, 'Impossible to Reach' Hype

No player will be under a bigger spotlight during the 2025 college football season than Texas quarterback Arch Manning, and SEC coaches know it.

"He's going to be a good player," an SEC coach told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "The hype that it's been, it's impossible to reach."

There is no shortage of hype, but Manning is used to being around publicity. After all, he is the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. Just the name Manning alone makes him football royalty and only dialed up the spotlight even more before he even arrived at Texas.

And all indications are he is handling the situation well.

"He's getting a lot of publicity, but he seems like a pretty level-headed kid," a coach said. "It doesn't seem like he bought into the hype."

Another added, "You've got a ton of respect for the kid, handling what is an insane situation."

Manning arrived at Texas as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings. However, he backed up Quinn Ewers during his first two seasons and only saw playing time in blowouts or when the starter was hurt.

His most significant playing time came in victories over UL Monroe, Mississippi State and UTSA last season, and he certainly made an impression with 10 total touchdowns to two interceptions and the ability to make plays with his legs.

"Any time a quarterback can make all the throws and has enough ability to run the ball, they're usually pretty f---ing good," an SEC defensive coordinator said. "But I'm sure he'll force some stuff and make some mistakes."

The pressure will be dialed up this year, though, as Manning is the starting quarterback on the No. 1 team in the nation. Fair or not, anything less than an SEC championship and legitimate national title push, especially after Texas reached the College Football Playoff semifinals the last two years, will be seen as coming up short of expectations.

Manning will also be thrown into the fire right away, as the Longhorns open their season on the road against the reigning national champions in Ohio State. They can survive a loss in the 12-team CFP era, but the narrative shaping will begin right away for the young quarterback.

And that narrative shaping will only lead to even more hype if he comes away with a win.