Texas quarterback Arch Manning battled through injuries last season, but his father shared that is fully healthy headed into 2026.
Texas got its first full taste of Arch Manning as its starting quarterback last season. While it wasn't a terrible outing, there were some growing pains felt by the Longhorns newest star.
Throughout the ups-and-downs, Manning still racked up over 3,000 passing yards, 500 rushing yards and 36 combined touchdowns through the ground and the air. For any other first-year starter, these would be more than enough but there are some that hoped for more from someone bearing the Manning name.
One of the main hinderances to Manning were nagging injuries throughout the year. He reportedly underwent surgery this January to address one of these previous ailments. According to one highly accurate source, it had been bothering Manning for longer than originally thought.
None other than his father, Cooper Manning, shared the latest on Arch's injury journey and offered reassuring news to Longhorn fans ahead of the season.
In this interview with Chip Brown of Horns247, Cooper revealed that the foot injury that Arch received surgery to fix was actually first suffered all the way back in 2024. During that time, Arch was a backup to Quinn Ewers and apparently aggravated his foot on a touchdown run against Texas A&M.
"The injury was something that had been bothering him all year...Finally, [he] just said, 'Look, I want to go ahead and just get this thing fixed and not have to worry about it anymore,'" said Manning's father.
While the injury wasn't a major issue for Manning last season, it apparently mattered enough to head coach Steve Sarkisian to limit his time going into spring practices.
Sarkisian had previously announced that Manning would see a slow build-up in the Longhorns early practices and the information from his father helped to explain the reasoning behind this decision.
Getting a fully-healthy Manning bodes well for the Longhorns' lofty expectations heading into the upcoming season.
Not only will Texas finally get to see Manning at his full capability but they have given him pieces throughout the offense to truly soar.
After a less-than-ideal lineup blocking for Manning, Texas has made much noise about its reloaded offensive front that will look to keep their quarterback safe and able to play up his skills.
Those looking to be on the receiving end of Manning's throws also saw an upgrade, as Auburn transfer Cam Coleman is making his debut in the burnt orange. He'll line up opposite of Ryan Wingo, who was already a favorite target for the first-year QB.
If Texas fans were not already excited about what the 2026 season could hold, the news directly from their quarterback's father is sure to boost their spirits.