Arch Manning reveals he faked phone calls early at Texas to avoid attention on campus

The moment Arch Manning stepped on the University of Texas‘ campus, he was a star. Ironically, Manning one of the few people who didn’t understand the hype. At the 2025 SEC Kickoff on Tuesday, the Longhorns’ quarterback revealed how he adjusted to the swarming attention he received at Texas his freshman year.

“It was kind of frustrating because I hadn’t done anything and I was taking pictures with people going to class,” Manning said. “So, I’d always call my mom, pretend like I was on the phone with her going to class. That was kind of the first time I was like, ‘Wow, this is different from a 2A high school, where no one cares about me.'”

While Manning still hasn’t hauled in any coveted individual awards, fans have at least had a taste of his talents on the field. Manning was a standout last season when he started two games while Quinn Ewers was out with an injury.

In the two starts, Manning completed 41-of-his-60 pass attempts for 583 yards and four touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. He also recorded 29 rushing yards and a touchdown.

When Ewers returned from his injury, he took back the starting spot, but fans weren’t quick to forget Manning’s success. If Ewers struggled during games later in the year, fans would often call for head coach Steve Sarkisian to sub Manning into the game.

Sarkisian even relented occasionally, most notably subbing out Ewers in the Longhorns’ loss to Georgia during the regular season. Alas, Manning ultimately served as the team’s backup for the remainder of the season.

Now, for the first time in his career, Manning is entering the season as Texas’ QB1. All eyes will be on Manning, the same way they were when he was a freshman on campus.

“I think there’s a reasonably good chance that Arch Manning will be sitting on the front of New York at the Heisman ceremony,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said earlier this month. “That’s assuming that his team does what it’s supposed to do and compete for not only the SEC but for the national championship. I really believe they will… I believe also that Arch Manning is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006.”

Arch Manning and Texas will kick off their 2025 campaign with a showdown against Ohio State at noon ET on Aug. 30. The game will air live on FOX.