Kirby Smart Discusses the Development of Texas QB Arch Manning

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart discusses the development he has seen from Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

The Georgia Bulldogs will conclude their conference schedule this weekend against the Texas Longhorns. This will be the third time these two teams will have faced off since Texas joined the conference last season. Both teams have just one loss in conference play, so this game has major implications.

Georgia is looking to maintain their spot in the college football playoffs. They came in at No. 5 in last week's rankings and with a win over Mississippi State, it's safe to assume Georgia will remain in that spot. Texas, on the other hand, was ranked inside the top 12, but with two losses on the season, they still have some work to do before they feel safe.

The Bulldogs went undefeated in their matchups against Texas last season. They picked up a win on their road trip to Austin last season and then defeated the Longhorns in overtime for an SEC title last season as well. Both teams return a lot of players from last year, but the teams are also very different.

Texas and Georgia both came in with new starting quarterbacks this season. Arch Manning was the talk around the world this offseason, and Gunner Stockton was the talk around Athens this offseason. Both quarterbacks have had glowing moments for their team up to this point in the year, and both will be looking to have big days this Saturday.

Nov 1, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Manning's season didn't get off to the smoothest of starts, but over the last few weeks, he has been dialed in for the Longhorns. It was a win over Kentucky on the road and then a come-from-behind win over Mississippi State, where Manning helped lead the offense. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was asked what he has seen in the development of Manning, and this is what he had to say:

"Yeah, he's playing with more confidence," Smart said. "Number one, he's getting better protection. He's maturing. He's had an opportunity to play and grow. You don't really get that until you go out there and play."

This weekend's matchup is set to kickoff at 7:30 PM ET. It will be the second to last home game for the Bulldogs. The final home game of the season will be against Charlotte the following weekend. The Bulldogs could of course earn another home game this season by hosting a first round playoff game, which they are currently in place to do as the five seed.

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