Archie Manning says Arch was unfairly ‘crowned’ before playing
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Archie Manning feels that his grandson dealt with expectations that were too high.
Speaking to the media at the Manning Passing Academy this week, Archie shared some thoughts on his grandson, Arch Manning, who is entering Year 4 at Texas. After a redshirt season in 2023 and backing up Quinn Ewers in 2024, Arch took over as QB1 in 2025.
“I was kind of disappointed in a lot of, just a lot of people,” Archie Manning told Noah Gross of KXAN. “The whole thing. They kind of crowned Arch before he ever played. And I just didn’t think that was fair. Yeah, it was a little tough start, played a great team, and anyway. But I’ve never been more proud of anybody in my life with the way Arch battled through what he had to go through last year, and the way he played, you know, the last eight or nine games of the season.”
"They crowned Arch before he ever played," Archie Manning on the unfair expectations around his grandson last year.
— Noah Gross (@noah_gross27) June 26, 2026
High praise for the way Arch battled through the 2025 season.
"I've never been more proud of anybody in my life." pic.twitter.com/WgFR1jhaTb
While Arch Manning played in 2 games as a true freshman before redshirting, and 10 games in 2024 – with 2 starts – it’s clear that Archie is talking about the out-of-control hype for 2025, Arch’s first season as the full-time starter.
As Archie said, Arch Manning faced a difficult opponent (Ohio State) to begin the season and turned things around to finish strong. Many fans and pundits are expecting big things for Manning and the Longhorns in 2026, and Steve Sarkisian isn’t ruling out the QB’s return for 2027.
Arch Manning’s Year 4 begins with Texas hosting Texas State. In Week 2, the Longhorns host the Buckeyes in a highly anticipated rematch.
Will Arch Manning lead Texas to the College Football Playoff this season? Make a prediction today on Kalshi!
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
