Arch Manning reaffirms he did not suffer a concussion vs. Ohio State in College Football Playoff

Arch Manning took one snap during Texas‘ Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State in January’s national semifinal. The Longhorns put him into the game to convert on a 4th & 1 situation — but didn’t come out of the play unscathed.

Manning reached the first down marker and then some, taking the rush eight yards to convert the pivotal play. Before he could go down, Ohio State’s Lathan Ransom — who was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers — leveled the Texas quarterback.

There was concern over his health following the play, namely the potential that he may have suffered a concussion as the contact appeared to be close to the head or neck area.

“No,” Manning confirmed. “No. 8 hit me pretty hard but no concussion.”

Arch Manning got rocked lmao this is a fumble but they called it down on the field pic.twitter.com/Bk6yIQMaQH

— John (@iam_johnw) January 11, 2025

The play during the Cotton Bowl was one of 233 total snaps Manning took during the 2024 college football season. He was able to play some extended minutes early on during the season due to an injury keeping QB Quinn Ewers out of the Texas lineup.

He came in during the second quarter against UTSA, and led the Longhorns to a 56-7 win over the Roadrunners. Manning followed that up with consecutive starts against Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State, where Texas outscored its opponents 86-16.

Manning threw for 583 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions during those games. He rushed for an additional touchdown against the Bulldogs as well.

He went on to finish his redshirt freshman season with 939 total yards to go with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Manning also finished the season with an 87.5 QBR, which would have ranked among the nation’s leaders last year but did not qualify.

Given the flashes of potential he’s shown, his former five-star status and having a famous football last name, all signs point toward Manning being among the elite quarterbacks in the sport this fall. The preseason Heisman hype is real as well. As of 2025 SEC Media Days, Manning (+700) is the odds-on favorite to win the trophy heading into the season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Texas will begin its 2025 season against a familiar foe — a rematch of the Cotton Bowl from last season against the Buckeyes. It will be a true road matchup for Manning and company, meaning the odds are already stacked against the Longhorns. Kickoff for the Week 1 marquee matchup is set for Aug. 30 at Noon ET live on FOX.