Cam Coleman is going to be a favorite target of Manning this season. Getty
Manning and Sarkisian are entering the season with high expectations. Getty
The #5 Texas Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning are now 1-0 on the season.
Texas kicked off the 2026 campaign with a resounding 59-7 victory over in-state rival Texas State in Austin on Saturday.
The most intrigue following this contest centered around the second-year starting QB Manning. Manning is coming off of an incredible end to the 2025 season, but is still facing questions in his fourth year of college football.
The former five-star recruit did his best to make a statement in this game. Manning completed 20-27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns to jumpstart the Longhorns' efforts this season. The 22-year-old spoke about the talent surrounding him after the game for good measure.
GettyCam Coleman is going to be a favorite target of Manning this season.
The Longhorns' starting quarterback is heaping praise on the team as a whole at this time, but made a particular point to shout wide receiver Cam Coleman out .
"It's nice having Cam Coleman on your team. You can throw it to a certain spot only he can get it. I'm blessed to have him on my team."
Coleman, 20, is in his first season at Texas following two years at Auburn. The Alabama native is among the highest profile receivers in all of college football at the moment. This is in large part due to his incredible catch radius that Manning mentions, as well as an incredible first step off of release at the line of scrimmage.
Texas' offense is setting the stage to be the most explosive in the SEC between Manning and Coleman alone. This isn't even accounting for fellow receiver Ryan Wingo, or the dynamic Raleek Brown/Hollywood Smothers duo at running back.
There's little doubt that Manning is in line for a massive season, but he must progress alongside the rest of the offense to hit his ceiling.
GettyManning and Sarkisian are entering the season with high expectations.
Sarkisian left the game satisfied with Texas' efficiency on offense – save for one play. The play in question is Manning's lone interception of the day, which came late in the first half of action.
Even through the mistakes, Sarkisian is still supporting his quarterback – sharing his advice to the young quarterback in the process.
"Regroup. The games are never gonna be perfect. How you respond to adversity is the key to the drill."
Manning endured his fair share of growing pains in 2025, including a debut that yielded only seven points against Ohio State. There were times when Manning appeared to be overwhelmed, missing reads and making poor decisions in the process. Ultimately, the future NFL draft pick put everything together as the season went on.
The growth mindset is serving Manning well in 2026, as he appears much sharper in reading the field, and displaying much more conviction in the decision making process.
Only time will tell where Manning takes Texas this season, but Longhorn fans should absolutely feel confident about the week one output. The Longhorns face a major test next Saturday in the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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