Arch Manning is settling into the starting quarterback role for the Texas Longhorns. The GQ famous celebrity has looked sharp taking on the reps of QB1. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has discussed Manning's inherent leadership abilities. He's also very competitive.
During his first media availability of the spring, Manning told the gathered press corp that his competitiveness definitely rises to the level of "trash talk." But he also thinks it makes things fun.
"I think that's just the competition we have on this team," Manning said. "Obviously Collin (Simmons) and Ant (Anthony Hill Jr.) are good players. It's just kind fun in practice to talk a little crap to them. Same with (Michael) Taaffe. That's just makes practice more fun."
Competition levels on the 40 Acres have taken a jump this spring.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) April 10, 2025
In large part due to QB Arch Manning’s willingness to “talk crap” to Anthony Hill Jr., Colin Simmons and Michael Taaffe.
Plenty of chirping and smack-talk ongoing between the O & D this spring.@ontexasfootballpic.twitter.com/9DYm2ezRaz
Part of leadership is knowing when to push buttons. When to push the buttons of your opponent and how that can fire up your team, in this case the offense. If you think about college football, most of what the players experience is practicing against each other. Spring and fall camps go on for weeks. They practice between games. The 15 games they play is a drop in the bucket.
Naturally, facing your own defense day after day will get chippy. But it sounds like Manning keeps it all in perspective and in good fun.
Sark likes what he sees. “The leadership … This guy has got a charismatic, some ‘it’ about him,” Sarkisian told Colt McCoy on the Clean Pocket podcast “You can feel it. That’s not a knock against Quinn. Everybody leads differently. He’s got something about him that guys gravitate to. That’s always a great thing to have as a quarterback.”
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas QB Arch Manning likes to talk trash in Longhorns practice
