"He's hard on me sometimes": Arch Manning shares his excitement to play under Steve Sarkisian as Texas aims big in 2025

After waiting for two years behind Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning will finally get his chance to start for Texas in the 2025 season. This week, the 21-year-old is busy with the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University, which started on June 26 and runs through June 29. Some high-profile quarterbacks from across the country and different conferences are attending the event.

This year, Manning is participating as the counselor alongside Garrett Nussmeier, who happens to be his childhood friend, as they grew up in the state of Louisiana. Nussmeier's dad, Doug, and Peyton Manning played together at the Colts, and the duo has fostered a relationship for decades.

While speaking to On3's Pete Nakos on Friday, Arch Manning shared his excitement for the upcoming season. The wait is finally over, and he claimed that he is still learning a lot alongside QBs like Nussmeier and Max Johnson, who have been vets at the Manning Passing Academy.

"It’s cool having a guy like Nuss to look up to,” Manning said. "He kind of had the same situation as me, just sitting for a few years, then going to play, and he played well. I’ve watched a lot of his film. He’s a good player, so it’s fun to look up to him."

Similarly, he gave Coach Steve Sarkisian his flowers and revealed what the factor was that lured him to choose Texas over top programs like Alabama and Georgia.

“Just his track record with quarterbacks, he came off a really good year in 2020 with Mac Jones at Alabama,” Manning told Nakos.

“They lit it up. I like him as a person. I liked Austin, liked Texas, so it was just the right fit. He’s hard on me sometimes, but I deserve it a lot of the time. It’s gonna be a fun year. I’m excited."

Arch Manning gets real about his plans for a national championship

Heading into a big season where Texas will travel around 10,000 miles to play opponents, Arch Manning believes nothing less than a national championship is on the cards. He told Pete Nakos that both he and Garrett Nussmeier have similar goals for the season:

“I think we’re both on the same page about that. SEC championship and national championship.”

The Longhorns will face some of the top programs, like Oklahoma and Florida, this season, which they kick off against Ohio State on August 30. Expect nothing less than a perfect season from Texas if Arch Manning lives up to the preseason hype in 2025.