Texas' Manning eyes bounce-back season: 'No one's going to stop me'

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is confident he can live up to lofty expectations after his rough start to the 2025 season led some to label him a bust.

"I'm not going to shy away from anything," Manning told ON3's Chris Low. "People are allowed to say whatever they want. It doesn't really affect me. I know where I'm going and I know no one's going to stop me. So that's where I am with all that."

Manning threw two fourth-quarter interceptions in an early October defeat to Florida that dropped the Longhorns to 3-2, and the quarterback received plenty of criticism. He credited his teammates for continuing to believe in him.

"All they did was support me, and we went through it together and started playing better toward the end of the season," Manning said.

Arch, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, ultimately passed for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 399 yards and 10 scores in his first season as a full-time starter.

Texas finished with a 10-3 record but missed out on a berth in the College Football Playoff following losses to Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia. The Longhorns earned a statement win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl and Manning nabbed MVP honors.

"I wanted a chance to play for a national championship, but I was more bummed for my teammates that I didn't do enough to win those early games, that I didn't play well enough," Manning said.

Cooper Manning, Arch's father, said that the possibility of his son declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft was "never discussed in any way, shape, or form."

Arch has been a limited participant in practices during the spring session after undergoing minor foot surgery in January. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is confident the passer will be able to return to the field prior to the start of summer camp. The redshirt junior said he's working to improve his accuracy after ranking toward the bottom of the SEC with a 61.4% completion rate.

Manning said the Longhorns have "weapons" across the offense after bringing in an impressive haul via the transfer portal. Receiver Cam Coleman headlines a group of new arrivals that also includes running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown.

"If we stay healthy and are more consistent, I think we're going to be a great team," Manning said.