Arch Manning's Growth Praised By Texas' Steve Sarkisian, 'Wouldn't Trade Him for the World'

Texas quarterback Arch Manning didn't live up to his Heisman expectations in his first year as the Longhorns' starter, but head coach Steve Sarkisian is confident he's due for a big year.

Sarkisian praised Manning's growth heading into the 2026 campaign, saying that he "wouldn't trade him for the world."

"The thing I think he learned about himself, he had some real adversity last year, and this guy found out about himself," Sarkisian told reporters Thursday. "And I think he found out about how physically tough he is, and I think his teammates did, too, and they credit him for that. All of your players that go to the draft, they always ask, 'Who's the toughest player on the team?'

"Every one of them said Arch Manning. Think about that for a second. The quarterback's the toughest guy on the team, but that's not only physical toughness, that's mental toughness. And so I think you gotta have that grit at the quarterback position. He was a work in progress his entire time here. He'll be a continued work in progress as we grow, but I wouldn't trade him for the world, man. We're fortunate to have him on our team this year. I think he's poised for a big-time season."

After sitting behind Quinn Ewers for his first two seasons, Manning was given the reins to the offense in 2025.

The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning overcame some early struggles to finish the year with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.

Manning came into the 2025 season labeled as a Heisman contender and the potential No. 1 overall pick. Those lofty expectations were perhaps a bit premature, but it sounds like he could get to that level this year.