After a rough start to his first year as a starter, Texas QB Arch Manning finished the year strong and heads into the offseason with plenty of confidence and optimism.
Manning completed 60% of his passes for over 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding 155 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground in a 41-27 Citrus Bowl win over Michigan. He earned plenty of praise from a lot of fans who had their doubts about him.
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But for former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, it was a great moment to revel in not only Manning’s success, but a moment of silencing the doubters.
“Arch Manning Haters are REAL quiet,” Griffin wrote on X after the game.
Manning had a number of underwhelming performances this past season, particularly in Texas’ losses to Ohio State, Florida and Georgia. He was the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite and even considered a lock to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft if he came out of college. But the Heisman talk evaporated quickly and he reportedly has no plans on leaving in the next few weeks.
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Expectations for 2026
So what will 2026 look like for Manning and the Longhorns? Fans certainly seem to think that he’ll continue to improve and become more like the player he was expected to be next year:
“Yeah but the “Arch for Heisman” ppl need to cool their jets and let the young man earn his way into the conversation next season… just like he said this year. Just leave him alone and let him play ball,” one user replied to Griffin.
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“His development over this season and becoming more comfortable running the offense showed big tonight. Also… how about those runs,” another wrote.
“Next year is the Heisman year….we were a little soon on him but it’s coming!” another declared
“I wasn’t a hater Robert. But everyone overrated him to the extent that the expectations were so high. He simply did not deserve the pressure. Nor the hype set upon him.”
“He was blown up before the season and now performing as expected. Texas need to support him with quality talent!”
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Oct 16, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Robert Griffin III on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set SoFi Stadium.Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The expectations for Manning are clearly not going to resume being completely rational, but there is at least some expectation that Texas can do better next year.
They’ll be hosting Ohio State next season but won’t be able to avoid all of the SEC’s heavy hitters.
If Manning can have an even better season in 2026, his NFL outlook in 2027 should be downright stellar.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.