Arch Manning didn’t sound like a quarterback trying to sell hope at SEC Media Days. He sounded like a guy who has spent enough time around this Texas offense to know what it can look like when the pieces finally click.
That confidence came through loud and clear as Manning talked about a group that looks very different around him heading into 2026. The Longhorns have added talent at wide receiver, rebuilt the running back room, and Manning made it obvious he likes the direction of the offense.
“It’s a good problem to have when you’ve got talent like that at the wideout position,” Manning told SEC Network. “We also have really good RBs.
We’re fired up. Those guys are really hard workers, and they’re good guys.
We can’t wait.”
For Texas, the passing game was better than the ground attack last season, but it still didn’t match the standard Steve Sarkisian’s offenses have set in Austin. One of the biggest reasons for the optimism now is transfer wideout Cam Coleman, who has been viewed as a major answer to some of those issues.
Manning said Coleman has already made an effort to build chemistry the right way.
“The good thing about Cam and how we built our relationship is he always wants to throw, he always wants to meet extra,” Manning said. “I think anytime you get a guy like that, it's easier for me to become close with.”
The attention around Texas has mostly centered on the receivers and the revamped backfield, but the tight end spot is a different story. Unlike last season, the Longhorns did not bring in a portal replacement after Jack Endries left for the professional game following one year in Austin. There was some hope Endries would return for his senior season, but that never happened, and the job now appears wide open entering 2026.
Manning isn’t losing sleep over it.
“We've got a lot of depth in the tight end room,” Manning said. “All a bunch of good guys.
And we're excited. I think it's going to come down to camp to see who takes that role.
But it's been a good offseason with those guys.”
Manning also described a personal shift after going through the bumps that came with his early run in the spotlight. With the season still a little over a month away and fall camp just a week out, he said the lessons have already started to show.
“I think I've become more present. I've obviously matured,” Manning said.
“I think going through those rough times, I learned a lot about myself. And I've become a better man because of it and hopefully a better player.”
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