The Texas Longhorns came into this season with an amount of hype that was always going to be hard to live up to. The Longhorns were the preseason number one overall team in the AP Poll, and quarterback Arch Manning was billed as the best thing since sliced bread, despite never having served as a starter for a full season at the collegiate level.
Suffice it to say, the Longhorns failed to live up to that hype. Manning struggled throughout the early part of the season, and the Longhorns lost three games in the regular season, and missed the College Football Playoff despite a strong finish.
Manning agreed to take a pay cut ahead of next season to help Texas build a more competitive roster. Unfortunately for him, the program responded with what many have interpreted as the forced transfer of his close friend and roommate, wide receiver Parker Livingstone, who has committed to Texas’s biggest rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners.
The shocking development led some to wonder if Manning would transfer out of the program.
However, a reaction from his uncle, NFL legend Peyton Manning, to a previous decision Arch made regarding the transfer portal, has seemingly confirmed that Arch is seeing things through in Austin no matter how unhappy he may be with how things are going, a testament to his integrity in the current landscape of college football.
“He went to Texas because he wanted to play at Texas. He wanted to go to college and play for (Steve) Sarkisian… most of the right reasons you should choose a college. I’m glad he’s staying there,” Peyton said previously, after Arch was stuck behind now-Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers.
After Arch stuck through that, he’s all but guaranteed to stay at Texas through this, as poor a job as the program appears to be doing around him. It’ll be interesting to see what his loyalty earns him next season in the way of results.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.