“Got way more swag than his uncles”: Steve Sarkisian hails Arch Manning’s personality as he gears up for Texas’ new season
Steve Sarkisian can't say enough good things about his new starting quarterback, Arch Manning. Sarkisian gave Manning nothing but praise during his appearance on "Up & Adams" with Kay Adams this morning.
Sarkisian lauded Manning for his competitive nature, his ability to connect with his teammates with ease, and essentially bringing everything to the table that a franchise quarterback should. He also noted he believes Arch has more swag than his multi-time Super Bowl-winning uncles, Peyton and Eli.
"But what I love about him is his connection to his teammates. This guy gets along with everybody. Super competitive, got way more swag than his uncles. He's got the athleticism of his grandpa. But at the end of the day, I think that one of the things a quarterback has to do, I think it goes unnoticed at times, a quarterback's real job is to instill belief in his teammates, instill belief in his coaches, instill belief in an organization, and then instill belief in a fanbase.
"Arch does all of those things. Like, hey here he is. And it's not because of the name. It's because of who he is on a regular basis."
With quarterback Quinn Ewers now NFL-bound following his declaration for the 2025 NFL Draft, Manning will now take the helm of the Longhorns offense. With all of the immense talent he possesses, many are hoping Manning can lead Texas back to its first national championship victory since 2006.
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Arch Manning managed to start two games for the Longhorns last season while Ewers was sidelined with an injury. Aside from those starts, he was already a regular fixture in Sarkisian's offense as a designed runner. In that time, Manning put up impressive numbers, throwing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions.
On the ground, Manning rushed for 108 yards and four scores. Now, Manning will get the opportunity to lead the Longhorns offense full-time, where his numbers should see a tremendous spike with full-time snaps. In their past two seasons, Texas has managed to reach back-to-back semifinal appearances in the College Football Playoffs tournament.
With Arch Manning now at the helm, fans are hoping that the 19-year-old soon-to-be sophomore can help the program take that extra step, reaching its first national championship in nearly 20 years. Manning and the Longhorns will open up the 2025 season against the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.