If everything we know about Texas’ starting quarterback was exactly the same except that his name was Art Janning instead of Arch Manning, the Longhorns would not be the No. 1 team in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll .

No disrespect intended, of course. The Longhorns have established themselves as one of the nation’s elite programs under Steve Sarkisian, a talent-accumulating factory that might already have a national championship if not for a shaky play call from the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter of last season’s semifinal against Ohio State.

But to believe the Longhorns are a deserving No. 1 – which is where a plurality of voters in the coaches’ poll have them heading into 2025 – requires corresponding conviction that Manning is ready to live up to his family name and high s

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