Johnny Manziel knows a thing or two about navigating the hype storm that comes with being a young, highly touted SEC quarterback. And as Arch Manning prepares for his first full season as the Texas starter, the former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner sees Manning not just surviving in the conference — but thriving near the top of it.
“I think him being the seventh or eighth best in the SEC, I don’t think we’re going to see that,” Manziel said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I think he’s going to live somewhere in the top three of the SEC play when it’s all said and done. I think with the people that he’s had around him, the way that he was raised, the way that he’s grown up, I think he’s prepared for what he is getting himself into. But when it comes down to it, it is SEC football. They are going to scheme for him, they are going to be prepared for him. They know what kind of quarterback he is. So you’re getting everybody’s best shot.”
Texas, which ranks No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time in program history, opens 2025 with a marquee Aug. 30 road trip to reigning national champion Ohio State — a debut setting that instantly tests Manning’s poise.
“You’re starting off the season at the top of the board,” Manziel said. “You know who’s coming for the top of the board? Everybody below you. I have high expectations. It’s tough to pick anybody that’s going to walk across the stage in New York in August. It’s really hard. And it’s almost better to not be the guy with the best odds going into it, because I can look back throughout the years — the odds-on favorite going into the season really has never been the winner when it’s all said and done.
“But he has the opportunity with the schedule, has the opportunity with the conference to do everything that he needs to do to be in New York in December. So I expect some good things from Arch.”
Manning enters the year as FanDuel Sportsbook’s preseason Heisman favorite (+750), a status he tried to downplay all summer. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian previously highlighted Manning’s composure, saying pressure does not cripple his quarterback.
Manning inherits a retooled offense that includes top-tier skill talent and a rebuilt offensive line, while the Longhorns’ defense has enough veteran playmakers to mask some depth concerns up front.
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