Arch Manning has found a new media strategy: keep it brief, keep it bland, and give the internet nothing to chew on.
That shift has been obvious over his last two appearances at the podium. After Saturday’s win over UTSA and again before this weekend’s trip to Tennessee, Manning needed less than 90 total seconds to get through 24 questions.
In one stretch, he answered five questions in 20 seconds. In another, 19 questions took 56 seconds.
For Texas, that might be the point. For everyone hoping to get a little color from one of college football’s biggest names, it’s been a dead end.
Manning’s stripped-down approach comes after a rough moment earlier this month, when Steve Sarkisian’s choice to skip a postgame interview after the Ohio State game left the quarterback in an awkward spot. Manning later apologized to ESPN’s Holly Rowe. His public image had been clean before he laughed at an insensitive AI-generated video depicting violence against women, and he’s now working to change the way people see him nationally.
So instead of insight, the Longhorns are getting a quarterback who sounds like he’s trying to leave no trace behind. The result is a version of Manning that is careful, controlled and completely uninterested in feeding the online machine.
That’s a little ironic, because this week is loaded with storylines. Texas heads to Knoxville for its SEC opener, a game that carries plenty of weight for a team trying to get back to the CFP after missing out last season. It also gives Manning his first trip to Knoxville in a matchup that comes with added meaning: he’ll be facing his Pro Football Hall of Fame uncle’s alma mater for the first time in Texas football history.
The setting is big, and the stakes are big too. It’s one of a record-setting four nationally ranked SEC matchups this week, and the kind of game that can shape both the playoff race and the league pecking order.
Manning, though, has offered none of that texture publicly. He’s the Heisman candidate who has helped push Texas to 3-0 with 661 passing yards and seven touchdowns, but you won’t hear him leaning into the moment. Not now, at least.
Josh Heupel, meanwhile, spent Monday talking about the challenge ahead and the need to stay locked in. He complimented Manning and the Texas roster, but kept returning to the same message about ignoring the noise and handling the basics.
"There's more media attention or whatever on this football game. At the end of the day, it's the beginning of conference play," Heupel said.
"You've got to understand the quality of the opponent that you're getting ready to play. Saturday will be electric in the stadium, but it comes down to winning each day, your preparation and practicing the right way to give yourself a chance."
Tennessee will be trying to take down a ranked opponent in Neyland Stadium for the sixth time in 12 tries under Heupel, and it will do so with a quarterback making his fourth career start.
Texas has its own road concerns to manage. All of Manning’s losses last season came in true road games - Ohio State, Florida and Georgia - and Saturday is the first of four remaining games against top-25 opponents away from Austin.
Sarkisian this week called Neyland Stadium "the loudest in the country," and said precision will be a must if Texas wants to leave with a win.
In Other News...
College GameDay Guest Picker For Tennessee Texas Could Spark Vols Debate
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Knoxville for Tennessees showdown with Texas on Sept. 26, and the familiar guessing game is already underway around who will handle the celebrity guest picker role. When the show comes to a host campus, it usually leans into local flavor, and Tennessee has no shortage of recognizable names to choose from after years of memorable selections that mixed sports, music and comedy.
Rick Barnes, Bianca Belair, Candace Parker and Kenny Chesney are among the names being floated, which gives the Vols plenty to debate before the cameras ever arrive. The decision will matter less for the picks than for the vibe, since GameDay guest spots tend to become part of the weekends identity, especially when a major SEC matchup brings the kind of attention Knoxville is about to get. [Read more 🡒]
Former Vol Kaleb Beasley Is Creating An Uncomfortable Tennessee Question
Kaleb Beasleys move from Tennessee to Louisville has already turned into one of those transfer stories that lingers a little longer for Vols fans. The Nashville product was once viewed as a highly rated local recruit, and after spending time as a backup safety in Knoxville, he has started to find a bigger stage elsewhere. His recent showing in Louisvilles win over SMU made sure the attention followed him, because he was all over the field and came away with a performance that drew national and conference recognition.
For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is simple: Beasley is suddenly looking like the kind of defensive back the Vols could have used. He led Louisville in tackles and picked off two passes in that game, then added the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors to the resume. When a former in-state recruit starts stacking that kind of production after leaving town, it naturally invites a second look at how his path unfolded and what it means for the roster Tennessee is trying to build now. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Barnes Just Added More Emotion To Tennessee Vs Texas
Rick Barnes added a little more emotion to an already charged matchup by leaning into the history on both sides before Tennessee meets Texas. The Volunteers coach spent 17 years running the Longhorns program, so his perspective on this one comes with a built-in layer of familiarity, and he made clear he still carries good memories from that time while also showing appreciation for the athletic directors at both schools.
Barnes, though, left no doubt where his focus sits now. Ahead of the game, he spoke as a coach invested in Tennessee and its basketball program, which gives this meeting a little extra edge beyond the usual nonconference intrigue. For Tennessee fans, it is another reminder that this game is more than a reunion for Barnes, even if the details of that Texas connection still linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]