Arch Manning is heading into his second year as Texas’ full-time starter with the spotlight burning even brighter, and Steve Sarkisian is already pushing for more. The Longhorns finished last season strong, and with expectations again sky-high, Manning’s next step will be measured closely.
There’s no question about the tools. Manning has the arm strength to drive the ball, the touch to feather it in, and the accuracy to hit tough throws downfield and place the ball where it needs to be. That kind of profile is why he’s already being talked about as one of college football’s elite quarterbacks.
But Sarkisian made it clear that talent alone isn’t the whole picture. According to On3’s Tyler Horka, the Texas coach said Manning could help the entire team if he becomes “a little more energized and a little more sharp,” a tweak that could make a real difference during the final two weeks of preparation.
Sarkisian also pointed to Saturday’s performance as a mixed bag. He was happy with how Manning closed, but he wanted more from the start.
“I thought he had a really good week of practice and he played very efficiently,” Sarkisian said. “I felt like today, similar to last week at the start, a little bit inefficient.
I feel like he could be better. But I love the way he finished.”
That’s the tension with Manning right now: the ceiling is obvious, and the Heisman buzz is already there, but Texas is still chasing a steadier version of its quarterback. If Manning pairs his natural ability with cleaner execution and more consistent energy, he’s got a chance to make a real run at the award.
And he won’t be doing it alone. Texas also added superstar Cam Coleman, giving the Longhorns another dangerous piece in an offense that already looks loaded.
In Other News...
Texas Fans Suddenly Have Another Quarterback Story To Watch
Freshman quarterback Dia Bell has been one of the early bright spots of Texas fall camp, enough to get noticed far beyond the Longhorns practice fields. Even with Arch Manning and KJ Lacey sitting ahead of him on the depth chart, Bell has begun building the kind of buzz that usually turns into a real conversation later on, especially around a program that is always looking for its next quarterback.
Steve Sarkisian has made it clear he wants Texas to keep developing its own quarterbacks, and Bell looks like a meaningful part of that approach. He is still in the early stages of his college career, but the attention he has drawn suggests this is more than a typical freshman camp story, and it gives Longhorns fans another name to track as the quarterback picture keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Stoops Could Shape The Texas Identity Sarkisian Really Wants
Mark Stoops arriving on Texas staff this spring as a special assistant to the head coach was easy to miss in the shuffle of an offseason, but it may end up being one of the more telling additions to Steve Sarkisians program. Texas is still settling into life in the SEC, and the Longhorns have made no secret of wanting to look a little different there, with more emphasis on physical play and a run game that can travel anywhere.
Stoops brings exactly the kind of conference experience Texas is trying to absorb, after years of building Kentucky around toughness and rushing offense. For Sarkisian, the value of having that perspective in the room is obvious, especially as the Longhorns keep trying to define what their identity should look like in their third season in the league. The real question is how much of that Stoops influence ends up showing up when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Defensive Question It Didn't Want Before Week 1
Texas heads into the final stretch before Week 1 with an unexpected hole on defense after Steve Sarkisian confirmed the dismissal of linebacker TyAnthony Smith for conduct detrimental to the team. Smith had been one of the key returning pieces from last season, so his exit changes the picture for a unit that had already spent camp sorting through roles and building depth for the opener.
Sarkisian framed the move as a standards matter, making clear the program values accountability as much as talent. In the meantime, transfer Justin Cryer has drawn praise for his work ethic, and his rise in camp now matters a lot more as Texas tries to settle its defense before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]