The Texas Longhorns are fresh off an up-and-down season that did not quite met expectations in the 40 Acres. Despite the somewhat disappointing year, the Longhorns got another season of experience under the belt of their lauded signal caller Arch Manning.
Manning went through growing pains in his first full season as the starter under center in Austin, with his success mirroring the team's. However, he came on strong to end the schedule and showed why he warranted attention from Texas beyond his family history.
With these hard lessons out of the way, expectations are high once again for the Longhorns entering the upcoming season. Much of that rest upon the shoulders of Manning, who is aiming not only to lead Texas back to the sport's forefront but cement his status as the nation's top quarterback.
Standing in his way are a few faces that are vying for breakout years of their own and may even matchup with Manning on the field.
One of these passers is returning to college but easily could have seen their name called at the NFL Draft. Dante Moore is suiting back up for Oregon following a run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
Moore was a phenom for the Ducks last season, which only lost to the eventual national champions, Indiana twice. He tallied over 3,500 yards through the air alongside 30 touchdown to 10 interceptions. Head coach Dan Lanning is assuredly raring to go for another shot at an elusive title and will rely on his veteran quarterback to get them there.
Moving inside the SEC, LSU has a new head coach and a new quarterback ready to bring the Tigers back to relevancy. Sam Leavitt made a strong impression his true freshman year at Arizona State, leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 Championship and CFP. He struggled with injuries late in the year but is now healthy and ready to set up shop in Baton Rouge. The Longhorns visit LSU on Nov. 14.
Another transfer QB is suiting for a former rival to the Longhorns. Drew Mestemaker lit up the scoreboard with North Texas in his previous outing and is now following his head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have been abysmal as of late but made the Big 12 Championship against Texas in 2023. They're pouring into the program to get back to that stage and Mestemaker is at the core of the plan.
Heading back to the SEC, Ole Miss is home to a quarterback that is anything but new. Trinidad Chambliss fought tooth and nail to earn a final year of eligibility with the Rebels following a breakout season that led to the program's best year in recent memory. Steve Sarkisian has sounded off on Ole Miss, as Texas hosts the Rebels in what is shaping up to be a must-see game on Oct. 24.
The list can go on and on, which highlights how much Manning will truly have to battle through to reach the pinnacle and potentially win the Heisman Trophy and set himself up to be the first quarterback taken off the board in the next NFL Draft.
After a late surge, Texas fans will await and see if Manning has rounded into form or if he burns out leaving Longhorns fans waiting for a return to glory for another year.