There are lots of eyes that gravitate toward the starting quarterback at a blue-blood college football program, let alone at a program such as Texas.
Arch Manning, speaking to The Athletic in an interview at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana, mentioned receiving advice from one of the most famous Longhorns about his newfound position with the program.
‘A few. It depends on the night, but I stay pretty low key,’ Arch Manning told reporters via The Athletic on Friday when asked of how many picture requests he gets on campus. ‘… I had to get used to it a little bit. I’ve actually talked to Matthew McConaughey about that. He’s given me some advice. He’s been great to have in my corner.’
McConaughey, who’s at nearly every Texas Longhorns football game and is known for his role as the team’s ‘Minister of Culture,’ knows a thing or two about dealing with fame, especially within the context of Austin, Texas, as the Academy Award winner graduated from UT in 1993 and has taught classes at the university.
Arch Manning, according to On3’s name, image and likeness valuations, is the most valuable college athlete in 2025, as he’s worth $6.8 million according to the metric. Arch Manning was even recently featured in a Raising Cane’s advertisement alongside his dad, Cooper Manning, Archie Manning and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
What did McConaughey tell Arch Manning as the former No. 1-ranked quarterback takes over as signal caller in 2025 after two years of being Quinn Ewers’ backup?
‘He’s way more known than I am, so it’s good anytime you get advice from him,’ Arch Manning said. ‘… He kind of told me you still have to live your life. He says he goes to the grocery store, walks down every aisle and he lives his life. You can’t let you taking a picture or signing an autograph affect your life.’
Arch Manning passed for 939 yards with nine touchdowns to two interceptions as a redshirt freshman last season, also rushing for 108 yards and four scores. The 6-foot-4 quarterback threw for 325 yards with two touchdowns in a start against Mississippi State, as he filled in for the injured Ewers.
Arch Manning is set to be perhaps the most talked about college athlete across all sports in 2025, and he’ll look to remember McConaughey’s advice as he aims to get Texas back to the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year.