MANNING MADE: A SHERIFF WITH A PURPOSE
Gunnar Galloway - September 30, 2025
The name has always been around. Arch Manning going into college was one of the biggest stories of that year. Entering the University of Texas Arch started with hopeful intentions. Playing backup for Quinn Ewers, Arch started literally third in the depth chart with two game appearances, throwing 2 of 5 for 30 yards. His next year is where he saw the most action, starting two games himself, ending the year with 9 touchdowns, 4 of them rushing, and a completion rate of 67%. That made some noise. The media surrounding Arch was huge, and after the draft, it only inflated as he was to take the reins as QB1.
The college football preseason promises only fueled the fire. Both uncles were talking up the starter too, showing how much talent Arch was said to carry into the regular season.
With sponsorships and NIL deals, Arch started to become the face of the league in a way. Many news outlets and reporters even started asking if he was the next Manning to carry on the legacy that name has famously carried, even the NFL’s own Bucky Brooks put Manning at #1 on his top-8 Heisman contenders list before the season began. Then it did begin.
Arch got on the field with the weight of a last name, a fan base starved for titles, and a football famished media ready to rip him apart every snap. Against Ohio State, OB1 threw 17 of 30 for 170 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, essentially becoming the villain in more than half the eyes staring at him. Through his first three games, Arch went for just 55% completions, 579 passing yards, and a 6-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Fans and media alike began writing him off as nothing but a nepo baby at best. Calling him a fraud and Heisman odds early tripled in terms of how unlikely the win will be.
In his third game against UTEP, Arch didn't start too hot either; he went 5 for 16 for 69 yards, an interception, and at one point, it got up to 10 straight incompletions. After a third-down incomplete pass and some misfires, the fans at DKR Stadium were heard audibly booing Arch because of the performance. Despite this, he ended with two rushing touchdowns and a win. 27-10.
While the boos may have shaken things up a bit, what follows is very telling of this Manning bloodline. Arch didn't fold, he didn't check out. He willed his team to a win and became the leader he was supposed to be in that moment. That's not the mark of a fraud; it's the mark of someone who is learning, adapting, and still trying to figure out how to carry the weight of having two of football's most famous names. People forget greatness doesn't happen in three games. Payton Manning threw 11 interceptions in his rookie year at Tennessee, and even Ole Miss booed Eli out of the stadium before he became their all-time passing leader. Arch is in the same process now, this time holding an expectation most players won't ever experience. Even though the growing pains are loud, the talent is there; he wouldn't be in this position if he couldn't do it.
The season is far from over, and if anything, this is all helping shape the quarterback into the one Texas needs. Manning wasn't made to crumble at the sign of pressure, he's meant to push through it. Through every interception, every boo, every headline calling him a fraud, Arch has the chance to turn it all into his story. That's the legacy of the name he carries, thats the story being told in Austin. Manning Made.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
New evidence shows Kyren Lacy was not responsible for the fatal crash that led to charges against him. His case highlights serious flaws in the investigation and raises questions about why the truth was not revealed sooner.