Arch Manning Receives Good News Months Before College Football Season

Arch Manning is expected to be one of the biggest stars in college football once again this season, but the expectations surrounding him are even higher after Texas fell short of the College Football Playoff in his first year as the Longhorns' full-time starting quarterback.

Despite having the option to declare for the NFL draft, Manning chose to return to Austin and currently has some of the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy alongside Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, according to DraftKings.

Manning spent much of the offseason recovering from foot surgery, which limited him during spring workouts.

However, both Manning and Texas fans received good news on Thursday when he was officially cleared to fully participate in summer workouts beginning June 1.

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About a month ago, Manning said he already felt "100%," which was an encouraging sign regarding the procedure and the injury he dealt with during the season.

Last year, Manning completed 61.4% of his passes for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while also rushing 92 times for 399 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Despite improving significantly as the season progressed, Manning still faced heavy criticism from fans and media members who expected even more from him - expectations that naturally come with carrying the Manning name.

Even so, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian recently praised the way Manning handled the pressure.

"There's a lot I respect about Arch, but the biggest thing is I think he needed that adversity at the start of last season," Sarkisian told On3's Chris Low. "He's lived a great life, and that's a credit to Cooper and Ellen and all the Mannings. He had a lot of things that came to him, a lot of opportunities, playing at Newman, and a ton of exposure.

"But in a lot of ways, Arch needed to get on the other side of that, which I think last season provided him," Sarkisian continued. "Yes, it was tough. Every show you turned on and all the articles were questioning him, and I always look for a silver lining when stuff like that happens. But Arch didn't get weaker. He looked at all that pressure and scrutiny right in the face. Ninety-nine percent of kids would have melted last year if they had to endure what he endured, and all Arch did was get stronger."

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:16 PM.