Steve Sarkisian names Arch Manning's "best trait."
Steve Sarkisian Shares Arch Manning’s 'Best Trait' Amid Rising Hype originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Despite appearing in just 12 games the past two seasons for the Texas Longhorns, Arch Manning is already regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football.
Of course, much of this hype surrounds an impressive set of physical traits, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner writing, "His size, arm talent and movement skills are all ideal ... Manning’s footwork is consistent, incredibly calm and almost always in rhythm."
However, being a great athlete is only a fraction of what makes a player successful. Thursday on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about Manning's "best trait," to which his answer was clear.
“Work ethic," Sarkisian said. "His work ethic is incredible. Whether it's, you know, studying tape, studying film, studying the playbook, working at his craft, you know, in the weight room. Like that is whether it's innate in him or it was, you know, handed down from his uncles, whatever it was, his work ethic is really pretty incredible. … I've never had to coach him on that. He walked in the door, was a great teammate and has worked his tail off from day one.”
Of course, when it comes to studying the Texas offense as Sarkisian alluded to, the quarterback has had plenty of time, spending his first two seasons in Austin serving as a backup for Quinn Ewers.
So far, that's paid off in small portions, as he put up solid numbers last season, completing 61-of-90 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions, as well as having 108 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
However, that will need to take a massive jump for the Longhorns to reach their lofty expectations, with ESPN Bet listing them as co-favorites with the Ohio State Buckeyes (+550) to win the national championship.
Those physical traits and work ethic will be tested very early on as Texas hits the road for a Week 1 matchup against the defending champion Buckeyes.
Manning isn't shying away from the high-powered matchup, though, claiming "We're excited. It's going to be a fun challenge. Glad I get to get a good one first," per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
