Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns enter the 2025 college football season as one of the top contenders in the nation. In his first year as the full-time starter, Manning is also expected to be a top-tier Heisman Trophy candidate.

Over the last couple of years, Manning has patiently sat behind Ewers. He was waited his turn to run a dynamic offense under the leadership of head coach Steve Sarkisian.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Manning entering the 2025 season. He has high expectations to live up to, but he has also faced some unfair criticism.

Fans did not love Manning’s decision to sit for two years behind Ewers. Many wanted to see him transfer to find playing time earlier than 2025.

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Despite the expectation and criticism, Manning remained loyal to the Longhorns. He knows just how well he fits in Texas and he wanted to do things the right way.

In response to the criticism that Manning has received, former NFL star quarterback Cam Newton spoke out and did not hold back on the young Longhorns signal caller.

“A lot of these parents and a lot of these players get so jaded off of the fact that, ‘hey, I’m trying to play early,'” Newton said. “Scratch that. Go somewhere that after three years, you can put yourself in the position to go to the league.”

Newton continued on, revealing more about his thoughts on Manning staying at Texas. He thinks the young quarterback learned a lot from Ewers.

“Arch would be a fool if he has not learned anything from Quinn Ewers,” he said. “How he prepared, how he lead his team, and just how he handled and managed the expectations for being a quarterback at a university like Texas.”

Read more: Steve Spurrier Has Serious Doubts About Texas QB Arch Manning

Manning has received a lot of praise from those who have been in his position. He did not leave a perfect situation just to play earlier. The same cannot be said from many young rising stars.

During the 2024 college football season, Manning received some valuable playing time behind Ewers. He completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions, while running for 108 yards and four more scores.

While he hasn’t seen the field a lot, he has some experience. It will be interesting to see what he’s able to do as the full-time starter surrounded by a lot of elite talent this season.

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