The University of Texas has never been here before. At least, not exactly.
The Longhorns have had really (really) good football teams in the past, but as we kick off the 2025 season Saturday, Texas is the top dog and boasting the biggest celebrity quarterback in the country.
The hype around this season isn’t just loud — it’s deafening. The Longhorns enter 2025 as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time ever, and they’re opening against No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus.
National analysts are picking UT to not only win the SEC but to win another championship.
It all revolves around Arch Manning, the latest scion of the famed NFL quarterback dynasty that includes Archie Manning (his grandfather) as well as Peyton and Eli Manning (uncles).
After sitting for two years, Arch is ready to start. And everyone is paying attention.
UT graduate and Austin comedian Danny Goodwin said he’s feeling too good about the season, which makes him nervous, given the program’s last 15 years of ups and (mostly) downs.
“I think Arch will be great,” he told The Barbed Wire. “I think he just has it in a way that our quarterbacks haven’t had in some time.”
Lots of others feel the same. Even the New York Post, of all places, ran a story headlined: “We have never seen anything like Arch Manning’s Texas hype.”
If that sounds like uncharted territory, that’s because it is. Austin American-Statesman sportswriter Danny Davis told The Barbed Wire that it even surpasses the expectation of the Vince Young-led 2005 Longhorns, which won UT’s last national championship.
“I think as far as expectations go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a season in Austin that resembles this one,” Davis said. “Even ahead of the 2005 season, there was some hope for the Longhorns, but I think that most people thought that USC (winning the championship) was inevitable.”
The difference now? Texas enters the year not just hoping, but expecting, to be the best team in college football. Davis pointed to the program’s recent success, the returning talent, faith in head coach Steve Sarkisian, that shiny No. 1 ranking, and a massive opener against the Buckeyes.
Of course, the biggest storyline is Arch Manning. After two years of buildup, the most famous last name in football is finally front and center as Texas’ starting quarterback. He’s only started two games — wins over University of Louisiana at Monroe and Mississippi State last year — but as Davis notes, “Nobody would confuse the ULM and Mississippi State teams that he beat last year with Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.”
“That doesn’t mean that he can’t be good, though,” he added. “And if he’s as good as advertised, then Texas fans will be watching football well into January.”
Chron.com sportswriter Leah Vann agreed that Manning is the right guy to lead this offense, but she’s a little more cautious about everything else.
“I think my expectations rank about on par with last season — though I’m more confident in Arch Manning than (last year’s quarterback) Quinn Ewers because of his ability to extend plays with his legs and stronger pocket presence (and) decisiveness, I’m not as confident as last year about the talent around him on both sides of the ball,” Vann said.
She points out Texas lost 16 starters, including four offensive linemen. The good news? Running back C.J. Baxter is back from injury, which should give the Longhorns a more reliable ground game. But, as Vann sums up: “Simply put: I don’t know what I don’t know about this year’s team, like a lot of fans.”
So why are the Longhorns ranked at the top?
“I think the reason Texas is No. 1 right now is everyone is moreso thinking: who else?” Vann said.
She adds that voters probably saw Texas as the safe choice: two straight playoff semifinal appearances, the sport’s most hyped QB, and other football bluebloods like Georgia and Ohio State breaking in new signal-callers.
But Vann cautions against assuming a coronation.
“I get why Texas and Manning are getting the hype — but I also would caution everyone because there are always stars and teams that emerge in ways that we least expect,” she said.
Back to Arch. Off the field, he’s already living the double life of superstar and college kid. Sure, he’s plastered across ad campaigns and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but he’s also fighting Austin’s brutal parking reality. According to his dad, Arch has racked up at least 10 parking tickets and even had a few boots slapped on his car.
And then there’s the fame. Arch can’t eat lunch without phones snapping pics from across the room. He’s had photo requests with dogs, though cat owners are out of luck — he’s firmly anti-cat. On campus, one student compared his level of recognition to Bevo. (That’s the mascot, not a player.)
Texas Monthly wrote about “The Unbearable Weight of Being Arch Manning.” Never has a quarterback in the entire state had this much expectation on him.
Which he seems to get.
“People are probably tired of seeing my face everywhere,” Arch told CBS Sports.
But all of this will fade into the background Saturday in Columbus. The Longhorns aren’t short on talent. The defense boasts Anthony Hill Jr., Michael Taaffe, and Colin Simmons, one of the top freshmen in college football last season. On offense, Arch has Ryan Wingo as his go-to receiver, with DeAndre Moore Jr. and Cal transfer Jack Endries in the mix along with a plethora of highly-touted freshmen.
Still, the season boils down to one question: Can Texas finally cash in on the hype? Will their most famous quarterback ever deliver?
“It really is a perfect storm in 2025,” Davis said.
One thing’s certain: All eyes, nationwide, will be on Arch Manning this weekend. If he’s as good as advertised, Texas could finally silence decades of “We’re back” jokes and give Austin the season it’s been dreaming about for the last 20 years.
