Arch Manning has served as Quinn Ewers' understudy for 2 seasons but the time has for come to lead Texas football. Ewers is heading to the NFL draft.

The latest edition of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship is officially in the books with Ohio State defeating Notre Dame, 34-23 on Monday in Atlanta, Georgia. But it is never too early to look ahead to the next one, and several sportsbooks are view the Texas Longhorns as major contenders for next year's title.

The longest college football season is in the books, but it is not too soon to look ahead. Arch Manning will start, Bill Belichick will coach and Jeremiah Smith will continue to dominate.

But Manning has done everything his way through his recruitment and since he got to Texas. And now, finally, with Ewers announcing for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, the keys are in Manning’s hands to run the Longhorns’ offense. He’s being handed a Lamborghini and Manning should make it purr.

The Texas Longhorns are heading into a new chapter under quarterback Arch Manning, after back-to-back trips to the College Football Playoff. Texas had a successful 2024 college football season, finishing the year with a 13-3 record and a 7-1 mark in SEC play.

Texas has reached consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals and posted 25 wins over two years. You have to go all the way back to when Colt McCoy was playing quarterback during coach Mack Brown's heyday more than 15 years ago to find a better stretch.

Despite playing for arch-rival Texas A&M, even Johnny Manziel can admit the Longhorns' quarterback situation looks good in 2025.

Monday night’s national championship marks the end of the 2024 season. And it also means it’s time to crank up the hype for 2025. Preseason predictions will be all over the place in the coming days, and most are going to have Texas in the top five.

Texas QB Arch Manning is expected to be an agent of change in Austin by the time the Longhorns' next College Football Playoff run rolls around.