The 2025-26 college football campaign is right around the corner and that can only mean one thing, it's poll season. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) released its preseason Top 25 rankings for the upcoming year and the team at the top should be no surprise given the offseason hype.
📰Texas is No. 1 to start the 2025 season in the US LBM Coaches Poll
— AFCA (@WeAreAFCA) August 4, 2025
🔗https://t.co/Kd8bNXhOpo pic.twitter.com/OTOv2rmyuj
That's right, the Texas Longhorns are judged to be the best team in the nation according to those actually on the sidelines. That means redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning is going to be carrying massive expectations.
The 21-year-old passer will have his first test on Aug. 30 when the team visits Columbus for a Week 1 tilt against No. 2 Ohio State. He'll have his hands full with the defending national champions and trying to prove the voters right.
2025 coaches poll puts Texas' national title hopes on Arch Manning's shoulders
The expectations are almost unfairly sky high for Manning but that seems to come with the family name and the program he plays for. He hasn't even started a full season for the Longhorns and pundits are already pegging the redshirt sophomore as the projected No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft.
In 10 appearances last year, the 21-year-old put up 939 passing yards and was responsible for 13 total touchdowns behind starter Quinn Ewers. He earned two wins on his own when the latter went down with injury.
That sample also has him as the odds on favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Pundits are also already predicting him to lead the Longhorns over the Buckeyes.
"I'm not sure how they get these opinions. I've only played what, two games?" Manning told reporters at SEC media days. "It's nice of them to say but it doesn't mean anything. Talk is cheap, I gotta go prove it."
That kind of attitude may be the only saving grace the Longhorns have with keeping Manning grounded and focused on winning games. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what his stat lines are or how flashy he looks on the field. If Texas doesn't score the most points week in and week out, the season will be chalked up to a gigantic failure.