"He's earned respect of his teammates": Arch Manning wins Steve Sarkisian's vote of confidence as Texas aims natty in 2025

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has nothing but praise for Arch Manning ahead of his first year as the starter.

Manning is entering his third year at Texas, but this will be the first year he's the starter. Entering the year, Sarkisian has plenty of praise for Manning and his leadership.

Sarkisian says Manning always works hard, which has gotten the respect of his teammates.

"I give him a lot of credit because all he did was come to work and be a great teammate," Sarkisian said (7:56). "If you didn't know the name on the back of the jersey, you'd say what a great teammate this guy is for Quinn, for the other guys on the team...

"He's ready to play now and play at a high level... I think he's earned the respect of his teammates."

Manning went 61-for-90 for 939 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions last season. He also rushed for 108 yards and 4 touchdowns and is a star dual-threat quarterback.

Arch Manning eager for chance to start at Texas

Arch Manning is entering his first year as the starting quarterback for Texas, and he's excited for that role.

Manning spent the last two years as the backup, and he says he never thought of leaving, as his goal was to always be the Longhorns' starting QB.

“It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age,” Manning said of the waiting, via The Athletic. “But I hope it pays off. There’s nowhere else I want to be. I want to be at Texas. I’ve got friends here; I love this place. So I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas. Sometimes it’s worth the wait.”

Manning appeared in nine games last season, including starting two games. That experience, he believes, will help him have success as a starter.

"Anytime you get game reps, that’s just such a help, and I’m really glad I got to play those games,” Manning said. “It’s also a good way for me to play in front of people, in front of 100,000, so that was definitely the biggest thing for me."

Manning enters 2025 as the Heisman frontrunner at +700.