Oklahoma knows exactly what it’s dealing with when Texas brings Arch Manning into this rivalry matchup.
Brent Venables didn’t waste any time praising the Longhorns quarterback, even with the stakes and the bad blood that usually come with OU-Texas. Manning has Texas off to a 4-0 start and sitting at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, and the Sooners are preparing for a player many already see as a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“He’s a really good player,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “Arch is a fantastic talent.
He’s got a cannon of an arm. He can really run.
He’s a tremendous athlete. I think he knows that.”
That combination is what makes Manning such a headache. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, and he brings enough power and mobility to stress a defense in multiple ways. Venables made it clear that Oklahoma sees the whole package.
"He's got no weaknesses when it comes to his talent, his ability, his arm, his legs, his instincts,” Venables said. “His best football’s still in front of him. He’ll be a great, great challenge for us.”
Manning’s numbers show why he draws that kind of respect. Last year, he passed for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61.4 percent of his throws. He also added 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground in 2025, giving Texas a quarterback who can hurt opponents both inside and outside the pocket.
This season, though, his passing has been uneven. Manning has been held under 210 passing yards in three of Texas’ first four games.
The exception came in the Longhorns’ 59-7 win over Texas State. In a game against UTSA, he completed 16 of 32 passes for 161 yards.
Most recently, he threw an interception and took six sacks in Texas’ 20-17 win over Tennessee.
That’s where Oklahoma believes it can make things difficult. The Sooners have already spent this season dealing with mobile quarterbacks, facing Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and UTEP’s EJ Colson. Last year, they also went against dual-threat passers like Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, former Missouri starter Beau Pribula and ex-LSU quarterback Michael Van Buren.
Defensive tackle David Stone said that experience matters when the Sooners line up against Manning.
“I feel like we've got pretty good looks at what it's going to be like going against him for two years,” Stone said. “So Arch is a good quarterback, an amazing guy. Just looking forward to this game, and we're going to put it out there on tape.”
For Oklahoma, the clearest path is simple: keep Manning contained and force him to operate from the pocket.
Defensive end Taylor Wein put it plainly.
“You just gotta keep him in the pocket,” defensive end Taylor Wein said. “He's a weapon with his feet.
He's got a long stride. He's a lengthy dude.
Great throwing arm. We just gotta keep him in the pocket.”
Defensive back Reggie Powers III echoed that confidence, saying the Sooners believe they can handle the challenge if they stay disciplined.
“He’s a good quarterback. We have no discouragement in our defense being able to stop him… As long as we’re locked in on the game plan and doing the right things we’re supposed to do, we’ll stop him.”
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