Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning will once again be one of the most talked about players in college football leading up to the 2026 season.
After starting off the 2025 campaign as an expected Heisman Trophy candidate, things didn’t go according to plan. Manning struggled to begin his first year as the starter for Texas. He was able to improve as the season moved forward, but his entire year wasn’t what had been anticipated.
When all was said and done in 2025, Manning completed 61.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while also running for 399 yards and 10 more scores.
By the end of the season, the concern about his slow start to the year had mostly subsided. However, he’s facing pressure to pick up his level of play in 2026.
Keeping that in mind, Manning has been hit with some disrespect ahead of the upcoming season.
Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning Facing Major Disrespect
That SEC Podcast has released their rankings for all quarterbacks in the SEC. While one name should be crossed off of the list, namely Ole Miss signal caller Trinidad Chambliss, Manning was still disrespected.
Manning landed at No. 6 in the rankings. Those ahead of him included Chambliss, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Auburn’s Byrum Brown, and Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
While analysts are certainly allowed to have their own opinions, those rankings seem to be purposely throwing shade at Manning.
Even in a season that produced less than Texas fans were expecting, Manning was better than names ahead of him on this list. At the end of the day, this is just another extra ounce of motivation for Manning to prove his doubters wrong in 2026.
What to Expect From Arch Manning This Season
Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer has named Manning as his top pick for the Heisman Trophy in 2026. Clearly, not everyone is buying the young quarterback having another disappointing season.
“There will be some who see this name atop the list and will roll their eyes into the back of their heads. That’s understandable after last season’s hype around Manning blew up spectacularly in both his and the program’s face after going from No. 1 in the country to well outside the College Football Playoff conversation,” Fischer wrote.
“But that was last season and Manning enters 2026 as an established starter. His offensive line can’t get worse and his weapons appear to be some of the best in the country after a busy trip to the transfer portal. Throw in the natural growth he’ll have with another offseason under his belt and it truly would be a disappointment if he didn’t earn strong consideration for the award.”
It would be reasonable to expect a big jump from Manning. Now, let’s try to take a look at projections for Manning in 2026.
Some reasonable expectations based on last season’s numbers would be to see Manning throw for 3,700 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He should also run for around 450 yards and eight to 10 touchdowns.
Despite the negative outside noise, Manning is one of the most talented players in college football and belongs much higher in the SEC quarterback rankings.
Texas’ Arch Manning Gets Head-Turning Treatment Before 2026