Arch Manning joins elite group of QBs after Texas’ win over No. 3 Texas A&M
Arch Manning joins elite Texas company after sweeping Oklahoma, Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M, capping a late-season surge that fuels the Longhorns’ playoff push.
Texas left Kyle Field on Friday night with a 27–17 victory over No. 3 Texas A&M, a result that closed the regular season on a statement and added another chapter to Arch Manning’s rise. It wasn’t just another ranked win. It was a moment that put Manning into one of the most exclusive clubs in Texas football history.
Manning joins a list reserved for Texas legends
With wins over Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas A&M this season, Manning became only the fifth quarterback ever to sweep the Longhorns’ three biggest rivals in a single year.
Before Friday, that group included Colt McCoy, Quinn Ewers, Peter Gardere and Randy McEachern. Four names that define entire eras of Texas football. Manning is now the fifth.
His run started in October when Texas beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry for the second straight season. That game doubled as Texas’ first top ten win of the year and the performance that hinted at what the Longhorns’ offense could become at full strength.
The victories kept stacking. Against Arkansas, Manning delivered one of the most memorable performances in program history, accounting for six touchdowns and becoming the first Texas player to record a passing, rushing and receiving score in the same game. The win also helped Texas survive a pivotal late-season stretch while climbing back into the playoff conversation.
Then came Texas A&M. The Aggies entered the game undefeated, ranked third in the country and carrying legitimate national title hopes. Manning erased all of it. A passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a composed second half pushed Texas to its third straight win in the rivalry. Manning now sits at 33 total touchdowns on the season.
Manning’s late-season surge shifts the narrative
What makes Manning’s victories over Texas’ rivals truly notable is the timing. His growth has surged in the season’s second half, turning an uncertain beginning into one of the nation’s most impressive quarterback campaigns down the stretch.
Manning has produced 1,493 passing yards and 16 combined touchdowns across his past five games. The sole defeat during that span was a road battle against then-No. 5 Georgia in Athens, where Texas still challenged one of college football’s elite defenses late into the final quarter.
That kind of production has quieted every preseason critique. At one point, he was labeled one of the most overrated players in college football. Now he is the engine behind a Texas team with three top ten wins, one of the nation’s hardest schedules, and a résumé strong enough to keep them in the playoff debate.
The Longhorns entered November with questions about their playoff readiness. Manning answered them. And with a sweep of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas A&M, he now moves into a category historically reserved for the most elite quarterbacks in Texas history.
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