Ahead of the 2025 NCAA season, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart dropped a blunt provocation to the Texas Longhorns with a stark response to question about Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning’s program.
With Manning commanding the huddle and Sarkisian calling the shots from the sideline, the Longhorns are entering the upcoming college basketball season as heavy favorites, not only in the SEC, but in the entire nation.
Texas will hope to avenge last season’s heartbreaking losses to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and against Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. Manning will be under center as a starter for the first time since arriving in Austin during the 2023 NCAA season, and expectations are sky-high for the heir to the Manning royal quarterback family.
Smart and the Dawgs, on the other hand, are determined to reclaim their crown in the SEC, and hopefully in the entire NCAA. Georgia is coming off a SEC Championship in the past season and Smart has no plans to see it shift hands to Sarkisian and the Longhorns down at The Forty Acres.
The 49-year-old coach in Athens made that clear with a candid response to a question from famous YouTuber BigGameBengal, who suggested the Longhorns hoisting the SEC trophy next season.
“In what sport? Baseball or basketball?,” Smart immediately answered back during a behind-the-scenes interview at the EA College Football 26 photo shoot.
Longhorns add QB Matthew Caldwell
In addition to Manning, the Longhorns’ QB room includes freshman Karle “KJ” Lacey Jr., redshirt freshman Trey Owens, and senior Joe Tatum. They’ve also added senior transfer Matthew Caldwell from Troy, who provides some playing experience in case Sarkisian and Texas ever run into trouble with their starting signal caller.
“We’ve got two really young talented players in Trey and KJ that we’re excited about, but we go to Ohio State week one and Arch’s shoe comes off? If those two guys aren’t ready, to be able to put a player in who has a little bit of experience and played in some games I think is beneficial for us,” Sarkisian admitted, per InsideTexas.
Cancelling out the noise
Manning’s arrival at The Forty Acres made waves all over college football ahead of the 2023 season, yet as the talented redshirt sophomore is set to make his first presentation as QB1 in Austin, the buzz is much more noticeable—which is saying something.
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“I don’t know if you can insulate,” Sarkisian admitted about keeping Manning away from the public spotlight, via OutKick‘s Trey Wallace. “For Arch, part of coming to Texas was building that brand and having exposure. I want to make sure he enjoys his experience. Part of that is protecting him as well.”