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ATLANTA -- Texas quarterback Arch Manning comfortably weaved his way through SEC media days Tuesday, generating the type of attention garnered by recent superstars such as Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel.
On the cusp of his first season as a full-time starter, Manning handled questions with ease, showcasing a deprecating wit and pointing out that his coronation as a superstar isn't yet based on performance.
"It's weird," Manning told ESPN. "I really haven't deserved any of this, so just trying to play along and play ball."
Manning has started two games for the Longhorns and has 250 snaps in his career, meaning there's a disconnect between production and expectations. But college football has long been fueled by emotion, and Manning's background, recruiting hype and the flashes of talent he's shown on the field at Texas have yielded a frenzy.
Manning's appearance here came with an appreciation for the moment. His grandfather, Archie Manning, played quarterback at Ole Miss, and his Super Bowl champion uncles, Peyton (Tennessee) and Eli (Ole Miss), also starred in the SEC. He grew up in New Orleans going to games at Ole Miss and LSU, and he carries with him a deep appreciation for the history of the conference.
"It means everything," Manning said. "I mean, my family has played in SEC, I grew up going to SEC games wanting to be a part of it. So now getting to represent at SEC media day, it's kind of a dream. I know I haven't done anything in the SEC yet, but that's the goal."
Manning's first game as Texas' full-time starter will be at Ohio State, the defending national champion, in Week 1. The Aug. 30 showdown promises to be a rollicking scene for his full reveal to the football world -- high stakes, packed stadium and surrounded by a lot of unknowns on two talented rosters that have dealt with significant turnover.
"Any time you get to open with the champs at their place is going to be a hell of a challenge, and I think we're excited for it," Manning said. "They've got a lot of good players, new defense coordinator, Matt Patricia, which will be interesting. So we're excited. It's going to be a fun challenge. Glad I get to get a good one first."
In a small nod to the sensation around Manning, veteran Texas media communications director John Bianco accompanied him to his interviews Tuesday. Normally, Bianco would go with the head coach, but the audible provided a small nod to the need for an experienced traffic cop among the 1,200 credentialed media here.
Manning appeared nonplussed by the attention, with his demeanor an endearing mix of Southern "aw shucks" and quiet confidence. Dealing with attention has been a big part of his life considering his famous football family, and that led in part to him choosing Texas for college.
"I think that was the cool thing, kind of why I chose Texas, in part, is because Austin's a big city," he said. "You can kind of go places where no one really knows where you are. I don't know if that was possible in Tuscaloosa or Oxford."
Manning did say that early on in college it proved an adjustment going to class and getting asked for pictures or to sign autographs. Manning quickly found an antidote to that problem.
"I usually just call my mom," he said. "A lot of the time I'd be like [uh huh], and she wouldn't be saying anything."
That will be part of life, as nearly a dozen autograph seekers were waiting at the hotel here at media days and sprinted to the SUV when the Texas contingent got out.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is bullish on Manning, who was a five-star quarterback in the class of 2023 -- ESPN's No. 5 overall prospect -- and backed up Quinn Ewers the past two years. He pointed out that Manning has "some swag" that he's shown in celebrating touchdowns the past two years. He's also excited that Texas' defense is the most talented of any during his tenure, which should ease the pressure of Manning's transition.
Manning threw nine touchdowns in 10 games last year and rushed for four additional ones. He started games against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State when Ewers was injured and threw four touchdowns in a relief appearance against UTSA.
Sarkisian also used him intermittently in short yardage situations to exploit his athleticism. Manning joked about his "welcome to the SEC moment" coming in the regular season against Georgia when he got "hawked down" by Bulldogs star Jalon Walker.
Sarkisian pointed out that Manning has captured the Texas locker room by being relatable, as he "makes sense to them."
"He doesn't think he's more than he is, doesn't walk around pointing at the name on the back of his jersey," Sarkisian said. "He's just an easygoing guy. He's very relatable. He's a good teammate with a really good sense of humor that works extremely hard, and he works extremely hard because he wants to be really good. He's not doing it for anybody else."
The anticipation around Manning is such that there's speculation he could be a high pick in the 2026 NFL draft. That route would be counter to what Peyton and Eli did, as they played out their college careers, in part to fully develop. The early NFL expectation in front offices is that Arch is likely to play two seasons in college.
Manning politely ducked a question about his future Tuesday, and Sarkisian said he hopes the QB is productive enough to have to make an NFL decision.
"I just want the guy to have a really good season this year, and we will cross that bridge when it comes," Sarkisian said. "I hope he has a really hard decision to make because that probably means he played really good."
In retrospect, Manning said he's grateful his two years as a backup allowed him to develop and appreciative that he's remaining in the same system all three seasons.
He said Tuesday that he's been off all social media for the past two days, the by-product of a friendly bet with a friend. He called it "healthy," as he said he wasn't searching for anything about himself, rather "just scrolling."
As he prepares to take over as the face of the Texas program, Manning reflected on guidance from his grandfather.
"I get a lot of advice," he said, "but I think the one thing that I kind of keep coming back to is my grandfather always tells me to be a good guy and be a good teammate, so I think I'm going to do that."
He then referenced how his father, Cooper, had his career ended as an Ole Miss receiver because of health issues.
"Obviously, my dad's career got cut short, so I try to not take anything for granted," he said. "Take the media days, the hard runs, the time in the locker room and time on the team bus and just cherish those moments."
