Overview

• Manning will make his first start as Texas’s QB1 on Aug. 30 at Ohio Stadium against defending champion No. 3 Ohio State in a 1 vs. 3 matchup.
• Head coach Steve Sarkisian told Manning he doesn’t need to be extraordinary and to “just go be you,” emphasizing staying within the offense.
• Manning has thrown 95 career passes with two starts last season, and he has said the preseason talk “doesn’t mean anything” because he still has to prove it on the field.
• Safety Michael Taaffe said Manning has matured by taking checkdowns, using his legs, and avoiding sacks, noting practices where the QB “was whooping” Texas’s defense.
• External attention includes an On3 NIL valuation reported at about $6.8 million and leading Heisman odds, bold predictions projecting 3,500 passing yards and 50 total TDs, and analysts expecting Ohio State to pressure him early.