Cooper Manning is very aware that his son, Arch Manning, and the Texas Longhorns ended the season on a strong note.
After a rough start to the season that included a rough loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and another one against the Florida Gators within the first five weeks of the season, the Longhorns bounced back to win six of their final seven games, including four of them against ranked opponents.
The period marked strong and improved play from Manning, with the 21-year-old tallying 15 total touchdowns against just one interception in his final five games.
“I think that the team itself was young,” said Manning in a one-on-one interview. “You had a really youthful group that didn’t have a lot of experience, and you just got to see them win some tough games, some where they really came back, some fourth quarter drama, some tough games on the road, and then you kind of saw it the middle season when they beat Oklahoma. A little momentum, a little confidence, a little comfort in what they were doing, knowing people are going to be where they’re supposed to be, not not the missed assignments, it started to kind of go away. You saw the team kind of bond, really play well.”
The 2025 Longhorns began the season with almost unreal expectations. Texas entered the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country, playing on the road against the defending champs, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite the Buckeyes being defending champs, they entered the season ranked No. 3.
Not helping matters was the fact that Manning was pegged as the Heisman Trophy favorite leading into the season. It became very clear that Manning needed reps and experience – he had just two starts entering his junior year – in order to continue developing as a quarterback.
“It was fun just to see the growth,” Manning said of the Longhorns team. “You want to see your guys playing their best football at the end of the year. I think that was certainly the case. It’s also a real benefit to playing in a bowl game. Some of these guys that are going pro and their seniors didn’t play the bowl game. You got a lot of youth to come out there and practice and play a lot, got a lot of snaps against Michigan. I think that kind of sets the tone for a fun spring and looking forward to a big 2026.”
The 2026 season is obviously a long time out, but the expectations for the Longhorns will once again be high with Manning deciding to return for his senior season. His father said things such as winning the Heisman Trophy – something that’s never been done in the Manning family – wasn’t even discussed when it came to Arch’s decision to return for his senior season.
Cooper repeatedly mentioned Arch’s desire to improve as a player as the main reason why he wanted to come back for another year in Austin.
While the Longhorns will have another tough road ahead of them as an SEC squad – they’ll also have another matchup against Ohio State – they’ve beefed up their receiving core by adding Cam Coleman, one of the top players in the transfer portal and a guy who was considered one of the top recruits in the class of 2024.
The 6-foot-3 Coleman produced 56 receptions for 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns during the 2025 season with Auburn.
“I think anytime you can bring players in that are going to be good for the culture and good for what happens on the field – that’s important,” said Manning of Coleman. “Texas has a phenomenal culture. Their locker room is really good. They have good people. I feel confident whoever they do bring in has got to blend in with that.”
Cooper Manning Partners With Capital One Venture X, Makes Pick For CFP National Championship
Leading into the CFP National Championship, Manning is partnering with Capital One Venture X Business when it comes to giving advice to entrepreneurs on how to win on and off the field.
“Just like in football, it helps as an entrepreneur surrounding yourself with talent,” said Manning. “Coaches often say, ‘Give me good players, and I’ll be a good coach.’ I’m a big fan of surrounding myself with young, hungry people that want to be better and not be at all intimidated about people who are better than me. I love it. I learn more. It’s selfishly great.
“Capital One’s got a lot of exclusive stuff going at the National Championship this Monday in Miami,” Manning continued. “They’re quite a partner. A lot of sideline access and exclusive access, but some great fun events. SI’m thrilled to be a part of them, and I can just like to see how they can think about things as an athlete and as an entrepreneur, as a business person, and let those collaborate.”
When asked about the CFP National Championship Game itself, Manning said the thing that pops up to him is that both the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers have a lot of “experience.”
“I think it’s been a phenomenal year,” said Manning. “I really like both these teams. You can tell a lot of experience. Veterans are doing good work here for both Miami and Indiana. Indiana is a very old team, you got Carson in his sixth year, some freshmen making some big impacts. I think this is the neatest matchup I’ve seen. I’m in awe of what the Hoosiers have done, but I think down in Miami, in their hometown, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael Irvin is going bananas on the sideline and chit chatting about an upset.”
Manning said the key to winning the CFP National Championship Game is “controlling the line of scrimmage” for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have a large offensive line, with players that are all between 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-8 and at least 300 pounds.
“Being able to control a line of scrimmage and run the ball,” said Manning. “They can run the ball and just absolutely kind of use that size. I know they’re bigger, whether they can really run the ball and not force Indiana to have to bring down those safeties, and then they can throw over the top. If they can run the ball as they see it, slow that game down a little bit, it’d be good for the ‘Canes to control the trenches.”