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By Matthew Davis
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Much hype and anticipation surround Texas quarterback Arch Manning ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Manning enters his junior year with Heisman Trophy and national championship expectations. He could also be the No. 1 pick in next year's NFL draft unless he stays for his senior season with the Longhorns in 2027.
“I am just focused on today,” Manning told reporters at SEC media days on Thursday. “One of my goals this offseason was to stay present and take it one day at a time.”
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His head coach, Steve Sarkisian, backed that up as well during SEC media days. Sarkisian is more interested in seeing Manning take the next step after a sophomore season of ups and downs as a first-year starter in 2025.
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“Arch Manning a year ago wasn’t on social media or television saying he was going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft,” Sarkisian told reporters. “He wasn’t on television saying he was going to win the Heisman Trophy. All he did was work really hard."
"All he did was try to be the best teammate he could be," Sarkisian added. "And then, we had some failures as a team, and he didn’t play the way he was capable of playing."
Texas lost last year's opener to Ohio State, and Manning didn't have the greatest game. That's the kind of opportunity he gets to revisit again when the Longhorns travel to Columbus on Sep. 12.
Manning will have many more big games this season, besides that with Oklahoma, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M on the schedule. He threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns versus seven interceptions last season, and that left room for improvement.
Most of all, Manning will want to get the Longhorns back to the College Football Playoff after falling short last season at 10-3.
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