The Texas Longhorns are stepping into a new era, and with it comes a slate of matchups that have been few and far between in recent history. Take LSU and Ole Miss, for example - teams Texas has squared off against only twice in the past half-century. But as the Longhorns settle into their new SEC home, fans can expect these encounters to become a staple of their schedule.
Another intriguing matchup on the horizon is with the Tennessee Volunteers, a team Texas hasn't faced since 1968 - long before Peyton Manning, a future Tennessee legend, graced the field. This season, these two storied programs will meet in what promises to be a thrilling clash of orange.
And for Peyton Manning, it's a game that hits close to home. While his legacy with the Vols is cemented - three-time All-American and his No. 16 jersey retired - it's his nephew, Arch Manning, who will be taking snaps for the Longhorns.
The 2026 Manning Passing Academy, a renowned camp for top-tier quarterback talent, is currently in full swing in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Arch is there, sharpening his skills alongside other college stars like CJ Carr, Julian Sayin, and Trinidad Chambliss, as he gears up for a pivotal redshirt junior season.
When asked about the upcoming Texas-Tennessee showdown, Peyton shared a candid moment with the media. An attendee at the camp asked him where his loyalties would lie.
Peyton turned the question back on the athlete, who naturally sided with their school. But Peyton’s response was heartfelt and clear: “I love my university … but nothing’s more important to me than my family.
I pull very hard for [Arch] every Saturday, so that’s pretty much a no-brainer.”
This situation is reminiscent of Peyton’s father, Archie Manning, who played for Ole Miss - another SEC rival. Peyton’s brother, Eli, followed in their father’s footsteps at Ole Miss, adding another layer to the family’s storied football history. Arch will face both Tennessee and Ole Miss this season, but as Peyton noted, these matchups aren’t hot topics in the Manning family group chat.
Even as Peyton pledges his support for his nephew over his alma mater, he leaves no doubt about his enduring love for Tennessee. “Everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays,” he affirmed.
As for Arch, he’s heading into a season brimming with promise. Expectations are sky-high for both him and the Longhorns, as he enters the year as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. While his first full season as a starter had its challenges, Arch hit his stride late in the year, earning praise from head coach Steve Sarkisian for his resilience - a hallmark of the Manning family.
Looking ahead, Arch’s future is as bright as it is uncertain. He could declare for the 2027 NFL draft, but given the Manning tradition, a return for his final year of eligibility wouldn’t be surprising. However, he has a unique opportunity to etch his name in the annals of college football history by achieving something no Manning has before: winning a national championship.
In Other News...
Texas May Be Closing In On A Rare Five-Star Lineman
Texas has been working hard to land five-star offensive lineman Ismael Camara, and the interest makes sense when you look at the profile. At 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds, Camara brings the kind of size and athleticism that can change an offensive line, along with the flexibility that lets evaluators imagine him fitting in multiple spots. The Longhorns have treated him like a priority target, and after recently bringing him to campus for an official visit, they have every reason to feel better about where things stand than they did a few weeks ago.
Camaras recruitment is getting extra attention because the usual timeline does not apply here. He is moving through high school on an accelerated schedule, which makes his path to college more complicated than most blue-chip linemen and leaves programs trying to balance urgency with planning. Texas is also intrigued by how quickly he could help once he arrives, which is part of why this is becoming one of the more interesting front-burner battles to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Sounds Like A Different Threat For Texas In 2026
Arch Mannings first season as Texas starting quarterback came with the usual growing pains, but it also gave the Longhorns a clearer picture of what he can become. He talked through an uneven start, then pointed to the way he settled in late in 2025, when the game started slowing down and his own comfort level grew. Manning also sounded focused on the broader job now in front of him, from handling leadership to carrying the lessons of a year that asked a lot of him.
The bigger takeaway for Texas is that Manning appears to be entering 2026 with a different body and a different edge. He said an offseason of physical changes followed foot surgery and helped reshape how he looks and feels going into the next season, while his comments on teammates and his preparation suggested a quarterback more intent on direction than hype. For a program that has been waiting to see what his second act looks like, the early signs are that the next version may be stronger, steadier and harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have Found The Defender This Unit Desperately Needed
Texas had a clear need to address the middle of its defense after Anthony Hill Jr.s draft opened a spot that mattered plenty in a room built to play fast and punish mistakes. The answer arrived in the form of Rasheem Biles, who is transferring in from Pittsburgh with the kind of resume that makes a staff feel a lot better about how the next defense will be stitched together.
Biles is coming off a breakout 2025 season that turned heads well beyond Pittsburgh, and the Longhorns are betting that production travels. He arrives with a chance to be an immediate difference-maker in Austin, and with NFL evaluators already paying attention, the stakes around his move are bigger than just one roster hole. [Read more 🡒]