Former five-star quarterback Arch Manning is poised to take over as the next starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns next season, but he’s likely going to need some help from the transfer portal after all the team is losing this offseason.
Although the Longhorns were one of the most talented and experienced teams in the nation this season, the same cannot be said for the roster next season when Manning takes over as the team’s new starting quarterback.
Following their season-ending loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday night, the Texas Longhorns have experienced a wave of departures from key offensive players opting to leave school early for the NFL Draft.
This exodus of top talent includes leading wide receiver Matthew Golden, star running back Jaydon Blue, and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Wide receiver Isaiah Bond and right tackle Cameron Williams have yet to formally declare but are widely expected to join the draft as well.
In addition to those early departures, Texas is also losing standout center Jake Majors and tight end Gunner Helm as both veteran players have exhausted their college eligibility and will be moving on.
So when Manning steps into the starting role next season, he is expected to be without three starting offensive linemen, the team’s three leading receivers, and its most effective pass-catching running back from the previous season. That’s certainly not a great situation.
To make matters even more difficult, Manning’s debut as a full-time starter will take place on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes –a team that just eliminated Texas from the College Football Playoff and is favored to win the national championship against Notre Dame next week.
Needless to say, Manning is going to need some help. The Longhorns have some obvious holes in the offense that the team will likely need to address through the transfer portal. Otherwise, they will be relying on young and unproven players to fill those holes, which is not an ideal situation for a young quarterback stepping in as a starting quarterback for the first time.
We’ll have to see what sort of help Texas can give Manning to set him up for success next season.
