Insider reveals what could trip Arch Manning, Texas up in 2025

2025 is supposed to be the year of the Longhorns. Texas is legitimate title contenders and have the Heisman frontrunner as of now, Arch Manning. Provided Manning even remotely lives up to the hype in his first full season, all eyes will be on Texas as they presumably make a deep College Football Playoff run. 

Not everything will go to plan, though. That's never how it works in college football. Something that can go wrong certainly might, and in Texas' case, it's the people tasked with blocking for Manning. ESPN insider Dave Wilson said the offensive line is the biggest area of concern in Austin. 

"The Longhorns lost four starters on the O-line to the NFL draft and are breaking in a new quarterback, although Arch Manning made two starts last season, as well as several key receivers with the losses of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and tight end Gunnar Helm," Wilson noted. "They lost tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., the 2025 No. 9 draft pick, but Trevor Goosby got some key playing time last year at the position when Banks was injured. The Longhorns also lost 56-game starter Jake Majors at center and face Ohio State in Week 1, posing a quick learning curve for an almost completely new offensive line group."

All in all, the offense features a ton of new faces. It might take time for them all to gel together, even with a really loaded backfield. But the one thing that might take longer than anything else and potentially derail the season is that offensive line. Whether or not Manning can be who he's expected to be might depend fully on how much time he has in the pocket this year.