$6.5M NIL-valued Arch Manning set to face stiff competition as 5-star QB leans towards joining Texas

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is gearing up for his first full season as a starter following the departure of Quinn Ewers.

Manning waited two years to take over the starting role, but the $6.5M NIL-valued quarterback (per On3) might need to watch his back, with the Longhorns set to land five-star recruit Dia Bell.

Bell spoke to On3 Sports on Thursday about being committed to Texas and looking forward to joining the Longhorns. He praised Arch Manning and how Texas developed him into a potential starter ahead of the 2025 reason.

"I have been able to watch Arch (Manning) grow in there, in that offense, with me coming up there and visiting and watching them practice," he told On3. "They coach really hard, that's what they do. They get the best out of you, and Arch has grown a lot."

Bell also addressed the Longhorns' faith in Quinn Ewers, saying he expects the Longhorns to do the same with Arch Manning until he's ready for the NFL draft.

"They didn't play him (Manning) much. I feel, like, that was loyalty towards Quinn (Ewers) that they had before ... They're really dedicated to the person they have leading this team and leading this room of the quarterbacks."

Bell committed to Texas as early as June 2024, and he'll join the Longhorns as soon as he concludes his tenure with Plantation American Heritage, Plantation, Florida.

What to expect from Arch Manning in 2025?

While Dia Bell is looking forward to joining the Longhorns, Arch Manning is gearing up for his first season as the undisputed starter at Texas. Manning played 10 games in the 2024 season, with eight of those seeing him come off the bench.

The Longhorns are stacked on offense, so it should give Manning the chance to showcase what he's made of.

Manning is one of the most exciting dual-threat QBs in collegiate football.

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