Manning's stellar season, marked by clutch performances and a Citrus Bowl MVP, positions him as a top contender for the prestigious Manning Award.
The Texas Longhorns finished strong at the end of the 2025 season, winning their final three games to post a 10+ win season for the third year in a row. A big reason for that strong finish was the throwing arm and running ability of quarterback Arch Manning.
Over those final three contests, Manning threw for 789 yards and seven touchdowns, with no interceptions. As a result, Manning was one of five signal-callers added to the list of finalists for the national quarterback award that bears his family name: The Manning Award.
Archie Manning, the patriarch of the first family of football, said this about the Manning Award,
“It is the only quarterback award that takes the postseason into account. Based on that, and some outstanding performances in bowl games and playoff games, we felt it made sense to add these five young men to our list of finalists.”---Archie Manning
At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, Manning had a breakout season in 2025. He passed for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions (in 404 pass attempts). He completed 61.4 percent of his passes. In addition, Manning gained 399 yards rushing and 10 more scores. He posted four games of 300+ yards passing and completed 70 percent or better on his passes three times.
Manning posted a season-high 389 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-17 win over Arkansas. Against six ranked opponents, Manning posted four victories: Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Michigan.
In the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Manning accounted for 376 total yards and four scores in a 41-27 win over Michigan. Manning was named the game’s MVP.
According to the Sugar Bowl, The Manning Award was established in 2004 and has been awarded every season since. It honors the gridiron accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli.
If the younger Manning could win the award, it would be a fitting tribute to his family’s legacy.