Arch Manning doesn’t need Texas to be built around fireworks this fall. He needs the steady stuff to hold.
That matters because the Longhorns are heading into a season with huge moments waiting on the schedule, and the biggest one comes in late November on the road at LSU and Texas A&M. But before Texas gets there, the cleaner test is right in front of it this Saturday against Texas State.
Manning, a senior quarterback entering his first year as a starter, has already been cast by outsiders as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. That kind of label can drag a quarterback into trying to do too much.
Texas does not need that version of him. It needs the version that can make the easy throw, take the profit, and keep the offense moving without forcing the issue.
Fans will have waited 248 days to see the Longhorns play again, so the appetite for a deep ball to junior wide receiver Cam Coleman or a 50-yard run from Manning himself will be real. But the cleaner indicator of how Texas’ offense is functioning will be the quick-game stuff: the out routes, the slants, the snaps where Manning gets the ball out on time and lets his playmakers work.
That style already flashed last season against Vanderbilt, when junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo took a quick pass from Manning and turned it into a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium erupted, and Texas rode that momentum into a game that ended with four trips to the end zone.
The Longhorns have the personnel to turn ordinary plays into something bigger. Manning knows it, too. A few weeks ago, he pointed to the wide receiver room and the options around him, including Coleman, Wingo, junior Emmett Mosley V, freshmen Kohen Brown, Jermaine Bishop Jr., Chris Stewart and others.
“All of them are making really good catches,” Manning said. “I’m excited for the whole group. … I’ve thrown some bad ones, and they make me look good too.”
Not every quick throw is going to become a viral highlight. Most won’t. But if Manning keeps those passes crisp and on time, Texas can let its receivers and running backs do the heavy lifting and wear defenses down over the course of a game.
Manning has already shown what his athleticism can look like when everything is clicking, and there should be a few splash plays along the way this season. Still, the bigger picture is simpler than the Heisman chatter around him.
He does not have to win the award. He just has to win the small battles. Keep the simple plays simple, and let the talent around him handle the rest.
In Other News...
College GameDay Sees Texas As A Contender But Not A Sure Thing
ESPNs College GameDay spent part of the weekend sorting through the SECs top tier, and Texas came out of it with something close to a respectability stamp. Several of the panels analysts, including Nick Saban and Desmond Howard, weighed in on the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the consensus leaned toward Georgia as the favorite to come out of the conference. Even so, the Longhorns were firmly in the conversation, which is where they wanted to be entering another season with bigger expectations attached to the program.
Desmond Howard went a step farther and picked Texas to win both the SEC and the national title, a reminder that the Longhorns are being viewed as more than just a team with upside. At the same time, the broader skepticism around the league suggests they still have to prove they belong in that same elite bucket as Georgia. Texas will get its first chance to start making that case when it opens the season against Texas State, with the early weeks likely to shape how much of that playoff buzz is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Returns To Knoxville For A UT Showdown Fans Will Feel
Texas is headed back to a familiar old SEC-era stage next fall, with the Longhorns set to meet Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The noon ET kickoff gives the game a marquee spot on the schedule, and the setting alone should give it a different feel from a typical nonconference road trip, especially for fans who still remember how rarely these two programs have crossed paths in East Tennessee.
What makes the trip even more notable is the return to a venue where Texas has not played this matchup in generations, which only adds to the anticipation around a game that already carries plenty of name recognition. Tickets are already on the market too, with prices stretching from $350 to $1,650, a reminder that this one is expected to draw plenty of attention well before the teams actually get to Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Depth Chart Already Reveals A Few Surprising Early Battles
Texas released its first official depth chart of the season ahead of the Texas State game, and it already offered a few hints about where the early competition is fiercest. The Longhorns listed starters and backups across offense, defense and special teams, giving the first real look at how the staff is sorting out roles after camp.
Among the more notable choices, sophomore Dylan Sikorski is penciled in ahead of sixth-year Laurence Seymore at left guard, a sign that the interior line picture is still taking shape. The rest of the chart also suggests Texas is not afraid to make some early calls and keep a few jobs open to challenge, which is exactly the kind of pressure a team wants before the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]