Arch Manning’s family has always marched to the beat of their own drum. Of course, considering this family is the Ringo Starr of drummers, it is easy to understand why.
Georgia, Alabama, and Texas were the top three teams on Manning’s wish list. Alabama had Nick Saban. Georgia was an SEC powerhouse. Texas was coming off a 5-7 season, which included a loss to Kansas at home. Nobody would have blamed Manning for committing to Georgia or Alabama, two programs with proven coaches and a history of success. Heck, committing to Ole Miss was an easy choice, too. However, Manning randomly picked up the phone in June of 2022 and told Sarkisian he wanted to be a Longhorn. The family believed Sarkisian could help Manning develop better than any other coach in the country.
The Mannings entered the 2023 season believing it would be Quinn Ewers’ final year at Texas. Everyone behind the scenes believed Ewers would play well enough to enter the NFL Draft. Nevertheless, Ewers did not have the season everyone expected for various reasons. Ewers decided to return for the 2024 season, which was not the option anyone expected, including the quarterback. Many outside observers thought Manning would enter the transfer portal and find another home. We live in an era where patience is a virtue… that few college athletes have. Once again, Manning and his family did their own thing and remained committed to Texas. His goal was to develop under Sarkisian and graduate with a degree from Texas. I remember one person telling me Ewers’ decision to return for another season did not affect Manning’s initial goal.
As Manning spends this offseason preparing to take the reins as the starting quarterback at Texas, just know there is a plan in place that follows a different beat than most quarterbacks.
Welcome to the Manning Way.
I have not written or discussed much about Manning since the season ended. To be honest, I thought everyone needed a break from the quarterback conversation after last season. Manning vs. Ewers was like a "Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third" script. Sarkisian was determined to stick with Ewers. The critics of Ewers never agreed with that decision. It was a weekly debate that lasted way too long.
We are entering a new quarterback era where every Longhorn observer will be in unison—unless someone is willing to beat the drum for Trey Owens.
Everyone has high hopes for Manning. He will be the face of college football this season. Every outside observer will speculate on how long he will remain at Texas before entering the NFL Draft.
And just like everything else associated with Manning, the majority of college football observers will be wrong.
The magic number is 30.
Stephen Curry?
No, but just as great.
The Mannings believe a college quarterback needs 30 starts before he is ready for the NFL.
That is the number NFL teams prefer. That is the number they are aiming for.
It means the plan behind the scenes is for Manning to play two years at Texas before thinking about entering the NFL Draft.
Anyone who enters this season believing Manning will automatically leave after one season is just guessing.
To be clear, this is not a magic formula.
There are plenty of quarterbacks who appeared in 30 games and flopped in the NFL.
Anthony Richardson was a first-round pick (fourth overall) after starting in 13 games at Florida.
Mitch Trubisky started in 13 games at North Carolina.
However, Bob Nix started in 61 college games, the most in NCAA history for a quarterback.
Here we are.
Manning has appeared in 12 games with only two starts.
However, it is something to keep in the back of your mind before the 2025 season.
Also, file this away.
I was told the Mannings are not in a hurry for Arch to become an NFL player.
According to my sources, the family prefers Arch to enjoy college football because they know how stressful the NFL is. They want him to enjoy his time at Texas because being a quarterback in the NFL is a job. There is not a quarterback family on this planet that understands how stressful being a pro quarterback is more than the Mannings.
Clearly, if Manning has a successful season, wins a Heisman, followed by a national championship, all bets are off.
That would be a great problem to have.
After Manning committed to Texas, a source told me the family believed Arch had five years to play in college and they would not rush the learning process. The decision to remain at Texas last year proved this is a patient family that sort of knows something about how a quarterback needs to develop.
Welcome to the Manning Way.
Photo via University of Texas
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
These guys were saints compared to the players Urban Meyer recruited
This is for cat lovers
The internet is undefeated
This is not funny, but it is guaranteed to make you smile
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas hired Justin Garrett as an assistant running backs coach. Garrett spent last season at Boise State in 2024 as an assistant wide receivers coach. He spent two seasons at UTEP, where he served as scouting coordinator.
2. EJ Crowell canceled his visit after Tashard Choice’s departure and Javian Osborne announced on social media that he would not visit. I checked in with my sources and was told nobody behind the scenes is hitting the panic button regarding running back recruiting. I was told some recruits have struggled with Choice’s departure but “there is plenty of time to make up for that.” In addition, the staff believes once recruits get to know Chad Scott, they will have an opportunity to get Crowell and Osborne on campus before signing day.
3. I received some information about Chad Scott after the War Room that is worth sharing. According to my sources, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian did not have a relationship with Scott before hiring the running backs coach. I was told Sarkisian was a huge fan of Scott’s work at West Virginia. One of the most appealing qualities of Scott is his ability to develop running backs.
4. In addition, I asked about Scott’s recruiting resume and meeting the expectation of landing elite players at Texas. I was told Scott was hired mainly for his “offensive acumen” and they are confident about their staff’s ability to help with recruiting running backs if necessary. What I was told reminded me of what I heard after Sarkisian hired receivers coach Chris Jackson and defensive line coach Kenny Baker.
5. Lastly, I asked if Scott would have an input in Sarkisian’s play-calling. What was the response?
“Sark is an autocrat with his offense,” was the response.
6. ICYMI, I followed up with Sam Spiegelman’s report earlier this week and we talked about Longhorn recruiting.
7. However, this report is guaranteed to hurt Spiegelman’s approval rating:
“Oklahoma inked a top-20 recruiting class in 2025 -- and is shooting for even more star power in this 2026 cycle.
“Brent Venables and the Sooners hold four early verbal commitments and are trending toward adding several more down the road with a potentially massive summer on the recruiting trail on deck.”
8. I cannot envision a world where the other conferences co-sign on the SEC and Big Ten’s proposal.
Here is a portion of Yahoo senior College Football Writer Ross Dellenger’s report:
“Inside a room there Wednesday, atop this city and, perhaps, atop college athletics, leaders of the SEC and Big Ten gathered to explore some of the most significant issues in the industry.
“They emerged with few decisions made except for one: They want to see a seeding change in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
“The two leagues will push playoff executives to alter the seeding of the upcoming postseason, aligning the seeds based directly on the selection committee’s rankings. Such a move would eliminate the rule that grants first-round byes and the top four seeds to the four highest-ranked conference champions.
“They’ll have a fight on their hands to make the change.
“Any change to the 2025 playoff requires unanimity from the 10 FBS leagues and Notre Dame as it is the last year of the original television contract with ESPN.
“Why would the Big 12, ACC and many of the Group of Five commissioners — the main benefactors of the rule — vote for such a move? They wouldn’t. Some of them have hinted as much in comments to Yahoo Sports last month.
“I do not have the appetite to give up any financial reward that comes with a bye,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said last month, alluding to the $8 million reward earned by a team that automatically advances into the quarterfinals.”
9. Sticking with that theme, check out what The Athletic reported this past week. The SEC is trying to figure out how to send as many teams as possible to the playoffs:
NEW ORLEANS — The SEC is talking about “re-imagining” its football championship weekend into a series of play-in games to the College Football Playoff. That includes the somewhat radical possibility of the eighth-place team getting a chance to earn a bid by knocking out the top seed.
The idea of play-in games has been floated since last fall, as part of a proposal where the SEC and Big Ten would get four guaranteed bids to an expanded 14-team Playoff field. The most-discussed proposal has been to have the two top seeds meet in the SEC Championship Game as usual, both teams ensured a Playoff bid but playing for a bye, and two play-in games, matching the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds and No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.
But the SEC has discussed a more radical idea: four play-in games, matching No. 1 and No. 8, No. 4 and No. 5, No. 2 and No. 7 and No. 3 and No. 6.
“It’s one of the ideas on the table,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday as he left New Orleans, where SEC and Big Ten athletic directors met to discuss several issues.
This isn’t the only idea, and there doesn’t yet appear a consensus. But it shows how far the conference is going to rethink championship weekend.
“We’ll see what happens,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said when asked if that format was in play.
10. Considering Arsenal annoyed me with that performance on Saturday morning, I will gladly take Austin FC's win in the season opener.
Georgia, Alabama, and Texas were the top three teams on Manning’s wish list. Alabama had Nick Saban. Georgia was an SEC powerhouse. Texas was coming off a 5-7 season, which included a loss to Kansas at home. Nobody would have blamed Manning for committing to Georgia or Alabama, two programs with proven coaches and a history of success. Heck, committing to Ole Miss was an easy choice, too. However, Manning randomly picked up the phone in June of 2022 and told Sarkisian he wanted to be a Longhorn. The family believed Sarkisian could help Manning develop better than any other coach in the country.
The Mannings entered the 2023 season believing it would be Quinn Ewers’ final year at Texas. Everyone behind the scenes believed Ewers would play well enough to enter the NFL Draft. Nevertheless, Ewers did not have the season everyone expected for various reasons. Ewers decided to return for the 2024 season, which was not the option anyone expected, including the quarterback. Many outside observers thought Manning would enter the transfer portal and find another home. We live in an era where patience is a virtue… that few college athletes have. Once again, Manning and his family did their own thing and remained committed to Texas. His goal was to develop under Sarkisian and graduate with a degree from Texas. I remember one person telling me Ewers’ decision to return for another season did not affect Manning’s initial goal.
As Manning spends this offseason preparing to take the reins as the starting quarterback at Texas, just know there is a plan in place that follows a different beat than most quarterbacks.
Welcome to the Manning Way.
I have not written or discussed much about Manning since the season ended. To be honest, I thought everyone needed a break from the quarterback conversation after last season. Manning vs. Ewers was like a "Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third" script. Sarkisian was determined to stick with Ewers. The critics of Ewers never agreed with that decision. It was a weekly debate that lasted way too long.
We are entering a new quarterback era where every Longhorn observer will be in unison—unless someone is willing to beat the drum for Trey Owens.
Everyone has high hopes for Manning. He will be the face of college football this season. Every outside observer will speculate on how long he will remain at Texas before entering the NFL Draft.
And just like everything else associated with Manning, the majority of college football observers will be wrong.
The magic number is 30.
Stephen Curry?
No, but just as great.
The Mannings believe a college quarterback needs 30 starts before he is ready for the NFL.
That is the number NFL teams prefer. That is the number they are aiming for.
It means the plan behind the scenes is for Manning to play two years at Texas before thinking about entering the NFL Draft.
Anyone who enters this season believing Manning will automatically leave after one season is just guessing.
To be clear, this is not a magic formula.
There are plenty of quarterbacks who appeared in 30 games and flopped in the NFL.
Anthony Richardson was a first-round pick (fourth overall) after starting in 13 games at Florida.
Mitch Trubisky started in 13 games at North Carolina.
However, Bob Nix started in 61 college games, the most in NCAA history for a quarterback.
Here we are.
Manning has appeared in 12 games with only two starts.
However, it is something to keep in the back of your mind before the 2025 season.
Also, file this away.
I was told the Mannings are not in a hurry for Arch to become an NFL player.
According to my sources, the family prefers Arch to enjoy college football because they know how stressful the NFL is. They want him to enjoy his time at Texas because being a quarterback in the NFL is a job. There is not a quarterback family on this planet that understands how stressful being a pro quarterback is more than the Mannings.
Clearly, if Manning has a successful season, wins a Heisman, followed by a national championship, all bets are off.
That would be a great problem to have.
After Manning committed to Texas, a source told me the family believed Arch had five years to play in college and they would not rush the learning process. The decision to remain at Texas last year proved this is a patient family that sort of knows something about how a quarterback needs to develop.
Welcome to the Manning Way.
Photo via University of Texas
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
These guys were saints compared to the players Urban Meyer recruited
This is for cat lovers
The internet is undefeated
This is not funny, but it is guaranteed to make you smile
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas hired Justin Garrett as an assistant running backs coach. Garrett spent last season at Boise State in 2024 as an assistant wide receivers coach. He spent two seasons at UTEP, where he served as scouting coordinator.
2. EJ Crowell canceled his visit after Tashard Choice’s departure and Javian Osborne announced on social media that he would not visit. I checked in with my sources and was told nobody behind the scenes is hitting the panic button regarding running back recruiting. I was told some recruits have struggled with Choice’s departure but “there is plenty of time to make up for that.” In addition, the staff believes once recruits get to know Chad Scott, they will have an opportunity to get Crowell and Osborne on campus before signing day.
3. I received some information about Chad Scott after the War Room that is worth sharing. According to my sources, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian did not have a relationship with Scott before hiring the running backs coach. I was told Sarkisian was a huge fan of Scott’s work at West Virginia. One of the most appealing qualities of Scott is his ability to develop running backs.
4. In addition, I asked about Scott’s recruiting resume and meeting the expectation of landing elite players at Texas. I was told Scott was hired mainly for his “offensive acumen” and they are confident about their staff’s ability to help with recruiting running backs if necessary. What I was told reminded me of what I heard after Sarkisian hired receivers coach Chris Jackson and defensive line coach Kenny Baker.
5. Lastly, I asked if Scott would have an input in Sarkisian’s play-calling. What was the response?
“Sark is an autocrat with his offense,” was the response.
6. ICYMI, I followed up with Sam Spiegelman’s report earlier this week and we talked about Longhorn recruiting.
7. However, this report is guaranteed to hurt Spiegelman’s approval rating:
“Oklahoma inked a top-20 recruiting class in 2025 -- and is shooting for even more star power in this 2026 cycle.
“Brent Venables and the Sooners hold four early verbal commitments and are trending toward adding several more down the road with a potentially massive summer on the recruiting trail on deck.”
8. I cannot envision a world where the other conferences co-sign on the SEC and Big Ten’s proposal.
Here is a portion of Yahoo senior College Football Writer Ross Dellenger’s report:
“Inside a room there Wednesday, atop this city and, perhaps, atop college athletics, leaders of the SEC and Big Ten gathered to explore some of the most significant issues in the industry.
“They emerged with few decisions made except for one: They want to see a seeding change in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
“The two leagues will push playoff executives to alter the seeding of the upcoming postseason, aligning the seeds based directly on the selection committee’s rankings. Such a move would eliminate the rule that grants first-round byes and the top four seeds to the four highest-ranked conference champions.
“They’ll have a fight on their hands to make the change.
“Any change to the 2025 playoff requires unanimity from the 10 FBS leagues and Notre Dame as it is the last year of the original television contract with ESPN.
“Why would the Big 12, ACC and many of the Group of Five commissioners — the main benefactors of the rule — vote for such a move? They wouldn’t. Some of them have hinted as much in comments to Yahoo Sports last month.
“I do not have the appetite to give up any financial reward that comes with a bye,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said last month, alluding to the $8 million reward earned by a team that automatically advances into the quarterfinals.”
9. Sticking with that theme, check out what The Athletic reported this past week. The SEC is trying to figure out how to send as many teams as possible to the playoffs:
NEW ORLEANS — The SEC is talking about “re-imagining” its football championship weekend into a series of play-in games to the College Football Playoff. That includes the somewhat radical possibility of the eighth-place team getting a chance to earn a bid by knocking out the top seed.
The idea of play-in games has been floated since last fall, as part of a proposal where the SEC and Big Ten would get four guaranteed bids to an expanded 14-team Playoff field. The most-discussed proposal has been to have the two top seeds meet in the SEC Championship Game as usual, both teams ensured a Playoff bid but playing for a bye, and two play-in games, matching the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds and No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.
But the SEC has discussed a more radical idea: four play-in games, matching No. 1 and No. 8, No. 4 and No. 5, No. 2 and No. 7 and No. 3 and No. 6.
“It’s one of the ideas on the table,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday as he left New Orleans, where SEC and Big Ten athletic directors met to discuss several issues.
This isn’t the only idea, and there doesn’t yet appear a consensus. But it shows how far the conference is going to rethink championship weekend.
“We’ll see what happens,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said when asked if that format was in play.
10. Considering Arsenal annoyed me with that performance on Saturday morning, I will gladly take Austin FC's win in the season opener.
