Arch Manning Appears to Be Getting His Swagger Back At the Right Time

Arch Manning appears to be back to what Texas Longhorns fans saw from him last season.

Sep 20, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs in for a touchdown past Sam Houston Bearkats linebacker Antivirus Fish (6) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns fans have waited three weeks for the Arch Manning they saw last season to show up in the 2025 season finally, and he may have arrived during Saturday's game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Tasked with knowing he had to be better this week and find his rhythm under center, Manning appears to be having fun again on the field. Something that hasn't been seen since the pregame of the week one contest against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Having the best game of his season, paired with a possible taunting that he may have gotten away with, Manning might be finding his stride at the right time for the Longhorns.

Play Relaxed, Play With Confidence

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) and defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrate after Manning ran for a touchdown during the first half against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

As part of his message this week to his team, Steve Sarkisian said helping the offense get confident and play relaxed during practice would help them carry over into their game against the Bearkats. Now, fans are learning that part is true after watching Manning carry himself the way fans are used to seeing from him.

After Jerrick Gibson scored the first rushing touchdown by a Longhorns running back this season, Manning followed it up with his own rushing touchdown and flexed a little bit in the end zone. He got in the face of a Bearkats defensive player, celebrating, and needed to be broken up by his teammates.

Later in the first half, running another score in from two yards out to make it 31 to nothing in favor of the Longhorns, Manning gave a slight stare down at a Bearkats defender who tried to take him down. Showing off his swagger and his speed, he has looked like he is having fun, and playing with a fire under him.

We told y'all @archmanning got swagger 😏 pic.twitter.com/WsiNPGiJPb

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 21, 2025

That confidence carried over in the passing game. The Longhorns had the best half of the 2025 season, finishing 14 of 17 passing with 227 yards and a touchdown to tight end Jordan Washington. The Longhorns also went the entire first half without a punt, with 17:43 of possession time in the half.

Perhaps more importantly, Manning's confidence and swagger seemed to have been felt like a ripple through the whole team, as they put up 361 yards of offense in the first half. That number is higher than their total number of yards against the Buckeyes in week one and the UTEP Miners in week three.

For the Longhorns, finding their swagger as a team before conference play could be a blessing, as they still control their destiny for the season. For Manning, the return of his swagger must feel like a breath of fresh air, playing reinvigorated, like fans expected.