HOF coach Steve Spurrier expresses trepidation about Arch Manning and Texas
Expectations are high for the Texas Longhorns entering the upcoming college football season. According to FanDuel sportsbook, the Longhorns (+550) are the favorites to win the national championship, but Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier questioned those picking Texas to win the SEC.
Spurrier was on “Another Dooley Noted Podcast” when he explained why he wasn’t quite ready to anoint incoming starting quarterback Arch Manning, whom many project to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft if he departs Texas.
“They’ve got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman too, and my question is if he was this good how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year and he was a seventh round pick,” said Spurrier, “You only have to ask the coach [Steve Sarkisian] how come you played that one instead of this one hopefully he’ll say because we thought [Ewers] was better than that one but isn’t that’s why you play one guy and not the other unless it’s a discipline [issue] and there was no discipline or anything.”
Last season, Manning threw for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions while helping the Longhorns to a 13-3 record, but spent the season backing up Quinn Ewers.
Manning currently has the top odds (+700) to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy according to FanDuel and would be the first Longhorn to win the award since Ricky Williams in 1998.
