Texas has been crowned the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll, and quarterback Arch Manning has been named the favorite to win the Heisman trophy heading into the 2025 season, which begins for the Longhorns on Saturday.
Through two seasons, Manning has just two starts to his name. Even so, the expectations are high for him and Texas as he enters his first full season as a starter. From being a Heisman favorite to future mock drafts already projecting him as a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, he is viewed as the next great Manning at quarterback.
Though Manning doesn't believe he's proven himself to merit all these projections yet, he's unfazed by the hype surrounding him and the team. For example, he doesn't see Texas as having a "target" on their back despite ranking No. 1 in the country.
"I think we kind of try to shift the narrative, we're going for everyone else," Manning told reporters Monday. "The target's not on our back. We have a red dot on everyone else."
Love how Arch Manning answers this "target on your back" question from @AnwarRichardson:
— Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) August 25, 2025
"I think we kind of try to shift the narrative - we're going for everyone else. The target's not on our back. We have a red dot on everyone else."#HookEm @fox7austin pic.twitter.com/UL1U4QnhOW
As for playing on the road, including at what will be a rowdy crowd at Ohio State on Saturday, Manning remains undaunted. "I feel like I do a good job of zoning everything out, but if I hear it I guess it kind of fires me up."
When asked by @davideckert98 about road environments, Arch Manning shared how he responds to hecklers...
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) August 25, 2025
"I feel like I do a good job of zoning everything out but if I hear it I guess it kind of fires me up"#HookEm | #Texas pic.twitter.com/uZFthjcDp2
Like his uncles Peyton and Eli and grandfather Archie before him, Manning has not let his name or outside narratives get to him through his first two seasons of college. He has held his own thus far, but he will face his first true test as he takes over the reins at Texas against the reigning College Football Playoff national champions.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arch Manning Drops Confident Quotes Ahead of Road Game at No. 3 Ohio State.
