Steve Spurrier questions Arch Manning Heisman Trophy hype as Texas prepares for 2025 season

Arch Manning has seen limited action at Texas, but expectations couldn't be higher heading into the 2025 season. The sophomore quarterback is already the odds-on favorite (+700) to win the Heisman Trophy at FanDuel Sportsbook -- a level of preseason buzz that has helped position the Longhorns as favorites to win the SEC and claim their first national championship since 2005. Not everyone is convinced, though, including former Florida coaching legend Steve Spurrier, who questioned how Manning vaulted to the top of the Heisman race so quickly.

"I think most people are picking Texas to win the SEC football," Spurrier said, via Another Dooley Noted Podcast. "They've got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman (Trophy), too. My question is, if he's that good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? He was a seventh-round pick."

Manning made two starts in place of an injured Ewers, and appeared in 10 games overall, primarily as a runner. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian faced questions regarding his decision to stick with Ewers over Manning, even as the Longhorns advanced to the SEC Championship Game and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Ewers showed flashes of brilliance but was inconsistent at times during his tenure as Texas' starting quarterback, a stretch also hampered by injuries. He threw a career-high 31 touchdown passes last season but threw 12 interceptions as well, including five in four postseason games.

"You'll have to ask coach [Sarkisian], 'How come you played that one instead of this one?'" Spurrier said. "Hopefully he would say, 'Because we thought this one was better than that one.' Isn't that why you would play one guy instead of the other? Unless it was a discipline issue -- and there was no discipline or anything. ... If one guy's struggling, give the other guy a chance."

Some Texas faithful clamored for Manning to take the reins as the Longhorns' full-time starting quarterback since he arrived on campus in the spring of 2023 as the No. 1 overall recruit in his class. He flashed in limited appearances, completing 66% of his passes for 969 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions. Manning has also showcased his athleticism, rushing for 115 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries.

Should Manning meet the high expectations in 2025, he is poised to establish himself as a top-tier NFL Draft candidate and one of the leading quarterbacks in his class. As the nephew of Super Bowl champions Eli Manning and Peyton Manning, he carries a storied football legacy and has been considered a potential first-round pick since his high school recruitment.

Spurrier, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, led Florida to a national championship in 1996. Spurrier later returned to college football in 2005 as the coach of South Carolina, where he spent nearly 11 seasons before stepping down midway through 2015.