Arch Manning's inexperience and offensive line turnover key concerns for Texas Longhorns entering 2025 season
It was a phenomenal year for Steve Sarkisian and Co., in 2024. But now you’ve got a new quarterback and have to replace four starters on the offensive line. Can it make the CFP again?
After another double-digit win season and trip to the CFP semifinals, Steve Sarkisian and his staff went back to the drawing board for its 2025 encore. Quinn Ewers is gone and so are multiple starters on what was one of the best offensive line groups in the country a year ago.
Now, everyone knows who is starting under center in Austin. But, will Arch Manning be up to the task as the every day starter? And what will it look like up front? Will those new faces be able to provide running lanes for Tre Wisner and keep Manning upright?
The offensive line must gel and gel quickly in order for Texas to see big-time success.
The Longhorns are on the road against the defending national champs in Week 1. And DJ Campbell is the lone returning starter. He's played in 37 games throughout his career to this point with 30 of those being starts. It's not all bad as Trevor Goosby has received rave reviews from his play last year when 9th overall pick Kelvin Banks, Jr., was banged up. But what about the rest?
Jake Majors (56 starts) will most likely be replaced by Cole Hutson who has seen some action already – playing in 38 games. Neto Umeozulu and former blue chip prospect Brandon Baker are the other two pegged to round out the group. If these dudes can mesh and play as a cohesive unit early and often, I like Texas' chances to be back in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game and the CFP.
Really burying the lede here but Arch Manning's play will make or break this season for the Longhorns.
Orangebloods reporter Cody Carpentier wrote on Wednesday about the similarities with Manning and a few other recent All-Americans.
"Arch Manning has played in 12 games and attempted 95 passes…those numbers are better than Jake Fromm, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, or Tua Tagovailoa before their first seasons starting," Carpentier said. "Note that head coach Steve Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2020 when they won the national championship. With a quarterback named Mac Jones who had zero starts, 17 games played, and just 154 pass attempts before that season began."
Now, every case is different and every season is different. But, you could argue Manning is just as or more talented than the aforementioned quarterbacks. I've gone on record stating I think the hype around Manning is justified. I also think he's going to be pretty damn good in 2025. Pro Football Focus likes him a lot, too.
The first thing that jumps out when watching Manning is his confidence. He was not afraid to test defenses and stretch the field. Young quarterbacks often come in and take their first open look. Manning, however, displayed an ability to look off an open receiver to make a better throw. It wasn’t just deep balls and RPOs, either. He was making second-level throws between zones, which, again, isn’t something you typically see from young college quarterbacks. How a quarterback operates from a clean pocket is a great way to evaluate how they process information and make decisions, and Manning earned an elite 91.3 clean-pocket PFF passing grade, which would have ranked 12th in the FBS had he qualified. – Nick Akridge, Pro Football Focus
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Sure, there will be some growing pains here and there. It's the SEC and it's a gauntlet. But he has the mental makeup, the athleticism, and the skill set to succeed and then some. Especially in an offense like Sarkisian's that is going to cater to his strengths.
But, this is a very big hurdle Texas will need to clear in order to have the season it wants to.
