After a second consecutive elimination in the College Football Playoff semifinal, the Texas Longhorns will be undergoing something of a transition during the 2025 season. But in place to ensure that this process goes smoothly is third-year sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, who played sparingly throughout the 2024 season in a handful of packages and in relief of injured (or benched) starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Arch was practically a household name before he ever arrived in Austin, largely because of a last name that is forever engrained in football history thanks to his grandfather, his father, and his two uncles. Many around the NFL are bullish on Manning's potential, but even before Manning leads the Longhorns into a season as their QB1, he may be the biggest star in college football already. Proof of this is a $6.6 million NIL valuation, the highest of any collegiate athlete, which will only increase after the 19-year-old inked an endorsement deal with Red Bull.

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Dan Morrison of On3 Sports notes that there are not yet any details available regarding the specifics of the deal, but Manning already had over a $2 million edge over Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg, whose NIL valuation is $4.3 million.

After their elimination at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, many expected that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian would turn to Arch Manning at the start of the 2025 season. Quinn Ewers made his NFL decision and Sarkisian officially turned the NFL down, paving the way for Manning to be the guy in Austin. Based on what we saw from Manning in a limited sample size this season, it does look like he's ready.

Manning completed nearly 68 percent of his passes last season for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also added 108 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.