The Arch Manning hype train is back in full force after the Citrus Bowl dominance over Michigan

Lots of fans heralded Arch Manning as the next big thing going into the 2025 season, an idea that quickly unraveled in just a few games. Now, after finishing the year by dismantling Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, the Texas quarterback is back on top of the college football world.

As the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason, Texas was unhappy in 2025 with a 10-3 season that missed the College Football Playoff. Manning’s early-season struggles have played a big part in their shortcomings, despite being among the week-one favorites for the Heisman Trophy.

Sports fans are notoriously ruthless, and fans are never more critical than they are of failed hype trains. Everyone quickly decided that Manning fell into that category after accumulating just six touchdowns and three interceptions through his first three games of the year.

If Manning’s excitement wasn’t already dead by that point, it was almost completely gone just two weeks later, when the prodigy threw two more interceptions and absorbed six sacks in a brutal 29-21 loss to a struggling Florida team. At that moment, even Texas fans were ready to call it and began to wonder how much Quinn Evers was taken for granted.

In hindsight, maybe not everyone should have gotten so excited about a player whose only two starts before the 2025 season came against ULM and a 2-12 Mississippi State team. Expectations were too high, making his fall from grace seem much steeper than it should have been.

Fair or not, Manning had to dig himself out of the hole. He quietly did just that, throwing 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions over the final six games of the year.

His late-season crescendo culminated in a near-perfect outing in the Citrus Bowl against a depleted but scrappy Michigan football team. People never forget, but they may be ready to forgive.

Texas could once again be the No. 1 preseason team

Before Texas took the field against Michigan, Manning had already announced he would return to Austin for his redshirt junior season in 2026. Despite being the preseason favorite to go No. 1 in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s certainly the right decision.

Fans may not be ready to trust Texas again after the 2025 season is over, but Manning’s return could lead to Texas being the preseason No. 1 team for the second year in a row. The Longhorns will lose a significant amount of talent in the NFL draft, but the Citrus Bowl wasn’t just a coming-out party for Manning.

Freshman Christian Clark came out of nowhere with a game-high 105 yards against Michigan’s top-15 rushing defense. Emmett Mosley W returned from a months-long layoff to catch five passes, while freshman Kaleek Lockett showed off his burst and contested catching ability in an impressive game. 30-yard touchdown catch against veteran cornerback Jiaire Hill.

Clark, Mosley and Lockett are all expected to return in 2026. The promise they made adds to the excitement and anticipation, and fans are already anticipating a big jump in year two from Manning’s close friend and roommate, Parker Livingston.

The Citrus Bowl was a complete legacy of Arch Manning’s game, but it only showed a glimpse of what the Longhorns can be at their full potential. The 2025 season was never going to be the year Manning put it all together, but 2026 looks like it will be.

The Arch Manning Heisman Trophy, NFL Draft ad is back

More than anything else, Manning finally showed off the full arsenal that everyone knew he always had. His talent for hands, timing, touch and mobility were in sync on the biggest stage of his career as he easily picked apart Vinco Martindale’s helpless defence.

Michigan played without star linebackers Jayson Barram, Ernest Hausman and Rod Moore, but Manning finally proved just how lethal he can be against a venerable program on the big stage. It was the exact performance he needed to silence critics who said he wasn’t ready for the limelight.

The game wasn’t perfect from Manning, who could have easily topped 300 yards if his young receivers were in rhythm. If anything, the numerous falls committed by his teammates only strengthened Manning’s case and the general opinions of viewers.

Manning had some elite performances down the stretch — he passed for 320 yards in three of the final five games of the regular season — but the Citrus Bowl was where it all came together. His performance was strong enough to sway some of his own the biggest doubters, including Paul Finebaumwho was once his biggest supporter, returned to his side.

Judging by his preseason expectations, Manning’s 2025 season was still a disappointment. He was billed as the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2026 and a Heisman shot, well short of both projections.

However, the momentum is now fully back on his side. Manning could end his college football career with the Heisman Trophy and the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, just one year after everyone expected it to come. The Arch Manning hype is back, and it might be even stronger than it’s ever been.