Texas' Expectations Aren't For Arch Manning to Carry Alone

The pressure surrounding Texas this season shouldn't hang on the shoulders of superstar quarterback Arch Manning.

It's almost easier for him to carry the weight of the Longhorns' expectations, considering he hails from arguably the greatest football family ever.

Manning marched past nationwide doubt midway through the season, which sparked a late-season surge before narrowly missing another College Football Playoff bid.

Now that he has that full year of starting experience under his belt, it's up to everybody inside Texas’ locker room to carry the same chip on their shoulder. That comes down to coach Steve Sarkisian surrounding his star quarterback with a capable supporting cast that executes at a championship level each week.

Former Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) celebrates during their game with the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Improved Rushing Attack

After Manning's emergence late last season, it was up to the Longhorns' coaching staff and boosters to provide enough resources to upgrade position groups across the board.

The pressure is squarely on Texas with at least four very early first-round NFL Draft picks in Manning, Auburn transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman, offensive tackle Trevor Goosby, and EDGE rusher Colin Simmons leading the way.

Should wide receiver Ryan Wingo and linebacker Rasheen Biles take the next step in their development, there's some serious chatter for both of them to be first-round selections.

After falling just short of a championship appearance in 2024, Sarkisian firmly believes this Texas team is deeper than any he's had before.

“I would say probably for the first time I feel like we have the top-level talent across the board position by position on both sides of the ball,” Sarkisian said in March. “But, yet, we also have the depth behind it across the board.”

Upgrades made at running back will add an extra dimension to the Longhorns' offense that Sarkisian said his unit didn't have in 2025. The combination of Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers gives the Longhorns a balance to the passing game sorely missed last year, but can certainly elevate an offense that

"The ability to make a guy miss in tight quarters in the open field is something we had the luxury of the first few years here," Sarkisian said. "We were very fortunate to have that aspect of our team the first four years here that maybe we didn't have a year ago."

Both Brown (1,141 yards, four touchdowns) and Smothers (939 yards, six touchdowns) arrive with the expectation to make Texas more explosive. The Longhorns had only 57 runs of 10+ yards last season, easily Sarkisian's worst mark since arriving to Austin in 2021.

Former Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman — Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) catches a touchdown pass as Auburn Tigers take on Mercer Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. Auburn Tigers lead the Mercer Bears 35-17 at halftime. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dominant Pass Catcher

Superstar freshman turned sensational sophomore, Coleman showed off his dependability as a pass catcher on The Plains of Auburn over the past two seasons.

Probably more than any other transfer Texas was in the market for, he might be the best option to be Manning's right-hand man in the Longhorns' quest for a national title.

Like Marcus Harrison was for his uncle Peyton, Coleman can play the exact same role for Arch. He is expected to make an immediate impact on the 40 Acres in 2026 after recording 93 receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns in a Hugh Freeze offense that featured uninspired quarterback play.

Coleman gives Manning a downfield target capable of coming down with contested catches and speed to fly by defenders in the secondary. Sarkisian's Alabama offenses operated best when he could spread the wealth, lull a defense to sleep before taking a risk over the top.

With so many options in the passing game between him, Wingo, Emmett Mosley and youngster Daylan McCutcheon, there's plenty of reason for Sarkisian to have hope a championship season is right around the corner.

Texas' defense carried the dead weight of its counterpart for most of the 2025 season, and it's now time for both sides to do a little bit of the heavy lifting collectively.

This might be the Longhorns best chance to close the deal and win it all.

Manning probably understands the assignment better than anyone in the locker room.

This team won't get the luxury of patience this season, especially not with the talent level across the depth chart.

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian gestures after a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The pressure from those looking for a return on investment will have their eyes on every second of every snap and their voices will grow louder if losses begin to stack up.

He's already done his part after steadying the boat late in the season. He hushed the doubters and gave Texas a window of opportunity to capitalize on now.

That window isn't going to stay open for long if the Longhorns fall short once agin.

Because if Texas does indeed fall short of rising expectations, it won't be due to Manning's inability to handle the pressure. It'll be because he was asked to shoulder too much of the load alone.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google