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Just a few months after announcing its seismic move to join the SEC in the summer of 2021, Texas seemed to hit rock bottom later that season in losing to a previously woeful Kansas program in overtime on a two-point conversion that became one of the defining highlights of the year.

The Longhorns finished 5–7 and the insult of losing to the Jayhawks was brought up more than once in snide remarks about the school joining a league that was far tougher than the Big 12 they left behind. Doubts externally about the readiness Texas had for a conference on top of the sport and filled with elite teams was palpable. 

Safe to say such days are a distant memory on the 40 Acres. Skepticism about the program has been replaced by lofty expectations. The Horns won the Big 12 in their final season in the league and made quick work of their transition to the SEC by getting to Atlanta in 2024 and came ever so close to winning their new conference. They survived a few tests in the College Football Playoff and pushed eventual national champion Ohio State more than anybody else in the postseason. 

While the ending was not what anybody in Austin wanted, the finality of that Cotton Bowl loss in the semifinals was also met with a bit of a relief. With the books closed on last season, it’s finally time for the future everybody had been waiting for for two years and a certain young quarterback with a famous last name.

Yes, it’s Arch Manning time in burnt orange.

Based on early returns, the interest in the redshirt sophomore is bordering on Tebow-mania levels and might actually outstrip what transpired around Johnny Manziel up the road a few years ago. Despite throwing just 95 passes in his career, the dual-threat from New Orleans may well be the most liked, discussed and feted quarterback at Texas, save Vince Young. 

No pressure, kid—especially with an opener at the defending champions in Week 1 to kick things off.

The good news for Manning is that he is surrounded by the type of talent that should make his first full year as a starter an easy one. Wideout Ryan Wingo is a star. The Longhorns smartly supplanted a few positions with key transfers, like the dependable Emmett Mosley V outside and Jack Endries inside at tight end. Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter are a terrific tandem in the backfield and create mismatches on every snap. The offensive line has to replace several key members but is stacked with highly touted players who have snaps under their belts alongside veterans like center Cole Hutson. 

It also helps that the defense should remain one of the best units in the SEC with All-American-caliber players at all three levels. It’s not in head coach/play-caller Steve Sarkisian’s nature to play things conservatively, but the Longhorns can be complementary on both sides of the ball so they don’t have to press their chosen quarterback into doing more than he needs to early on. Regardless, the team should be much improved in the red zone (101st in the country last season in that category) and that alone could be the difference between having another good season and a great one.

But make no mistake, the Arch Show is upon us and will be the defining storyline at Texas in 2025. If Manning lives up to what is expected of him, then we can plan on seeing the Longhorns in Miami this January. 

 

Fast Facts

2024 record: 13–3, 7–1 SEC

Offense: 33.0 ppg (29th in FBS), 6.21 yards per play (34th)

Defense: 15.3 ppg (third in FBS), 4.40 yards per play (third)

On the Headset

Steve Sarkisian, entering Year 5 in Austin, 84–52 overall record, 38–17 with the Longhorns

When Texas initially swapped out Tom Herman for Sarkisian, it was a bit of a curious choice given the relative success of the former and the question marks surrounding the latter. After all, the Longhorns won the Sugar Bowl over Georgia in 2018 and finished ranked each of the next two years—a big step up from where the program was in the previous four years when it struggled with just getting to a bowl game. 

But the powers that be swiftly brought in Sarkisian after a second stint under Nick Saban produced another national championship at Alabama and a record-breaking offense that more than covered up for his difficult departure as USC’s head coach and a fairly middling tenure in his first gig at Washington. 

What the Texas brass envisioned is now being fully realized. Sarkisian has turned around the program and finally got it operating commensurate with its resources instead of being an annual underperformer. Texas has recruited at an elite level and become an NFL factory the past two seasons. Such talent has led to some remarkable wins, a pair of top-four finishes and the only program in the country which can claim national semifinal appearances each of the last two seasons. 

It also says a lot that out of all the head coaches out there, the Manning family put their trust in Sarkisian to be the one to develop their latest scion under center. That carries a lot of weight and it will be up to the 51-year-old to ensure the unique opportunity of this season (and maybe beyond) won’t be squandered.

Key Returning Starter

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Jr.

By the time he leaves school, it’s possible Hill becomes one of the best linebackers to ever wear orange and white. He was a freshman All-American his first season on the team. He made a big impact as a sophomore, recording 113 tackles (17 TFL, eight sacks) and generally becoming a one-man wrecking crew en route to earning numerous first-team All-American honors. He’ll have more leadership opportunities this season and will need to pick up the slack from a few new faces on the defensive line in front of him.

Key Transfer

DT Maraad Watson, from Syracuse

The numbers for Watson were middling at best last year (31 tackles, one sack) but he figures to factor in heavily to the Longhorns remaining salty on defense again in 2025. His size and quickness had just about every major program after him in the portal. He’s just scratching the surface at what he could end up being given his inherent athleticism that looks different in the middle of the field. He’ll be a key replacement for the terrific inside duo of Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins this season and beyond.

Key Departure

CB Jahdae Barron, first-round NFL draft pick by the Denver Broncos

Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back and left Texas as a true master at his craft. His five interceptions were notable, but he really made the team’s defense one of the best in the country with the way he communicated on the back end and was able to force opponents into making mistakes seeing the speedy corner pop up all over the place. 

Circle the Dates 

  • Aug. 30, at Ohio State
  • Oct. 11, vs. Oklahoma (Dallas)
  • Nov. 15, at Georgia
  • Nov. 28, vs. Texas A&M

Bottom Line

The Longhorns are about far more than their famous starting quarterback, but there’s little questioning that this is the Manning show. If he lives up to the family name, there’s a good chance Texas is once again back in a CFP semifinal (at a minimum) and can even take advantage of a favorable schedule to make another run at their first SEC title. If the young signal-caller doesn’t live up to such a lofty billing, there’s still plenty of talent to lay the groundwork for a true championship charge in 2026. Either way, you’re probably going to be sick of hearing the name Arch and/or Manning by Week 2 unless you’re firmly on Texas’s bandwagon this season.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25: No. 2 Texas.