The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football’s Coleman, Manning named to Maxwell Award preseason watch list
08.03.2026 | Football
Coleman and Manning are preseason selections for the Maxwell Award for the second-straight season.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football senior quarterback Arch Manning and junior wide receiver Cam Coleman were named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday. The Maxwell Award has been given to the College Player of the Year since 1937.
It marks the second-consecutive year Coleman and Manning have been selected to the preseason watch list for the award. Texas has had two players recognized to the preseason watch list for the award in five of the last six years.
Coleman, a first-year player at Texas, transferred to Texas from Auburn in spring 2026. Coleman appeared in 23 career games with 22 starts across two seasons at Auburn in 2024-25. As a sophomore in 2025, Coleman started in all 12 games and led the Tigers with 708 receiving yards on 56 receptions and five touchdowns. He averaged 12.6 yards per catch and 59 receiving yards per contest. Coleman pulled in seven receptions for 77 yards (11 ypc) against Ball State on Sept. 6 and caught two passes for 49 yards (24.5 ypc) and a score against South Alabama on Sept. 13. The Phenix City, Ala., product gathered three receptions for 88 yards (29.3 ypc) and a touchdown at Oklahoma on Sept. 20. He posted six receptions for 107 yards (18 ypc) vs. Missouri on Oct. 18. Coleman had a career game at Vanderbilt on Nov. 8, recording career highs in receptions with 10 and receiving yards with 143 (14.3 avg) to go along with a touchdown. In the penultimate game of the 2025 season, Coleman grabbed five passes for 65 yards (13 ypc) and a touchdown vs. Mercer on Nov. 22. In the Iron Bowl vs. Alabama on Nov. 29, he snared four receptions for 26 yards (6.5 ypc).
Coleman was tabbed to Walter Camp's All-America Preseason First Team and the SEC's Preseason First Team.
In 13 total starts in 2025, Manning completed 248-of-404 passes (61.39 percent) for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging 243.31 yards per contest. Also a threat with his legs, the New Orleans native was Texas' second-leading rusher in 2025 after recording 399 yards (92 attempts) and a team-best 10 rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.3 yards per run. Manning had three games with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes without an interception, which tied for the most such games by any Power Conference quarterback during the regular season (Baylor's Sawyer Robertson and Ohio State's Julian Sayin) and is the most in a season by a Longhorn since Major Applewhite in 1999. He also holds the highest career passing touchdown percentage at home by an active Power Four Conference quarterback at 9.5 percent. Manning was tabbed one of 15 finalists for the Manning Award and was named to the Davey O'Brien Award's Postseason Great 8 for his performance in Texas' victory over No. 18/17/18 Michigan on Dec. 31 at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Leading the Longhorns to a 41-27 win against Michigan to conclude the season and earning the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl's MVP honors, Manning connected on 21-of-34 passes for 221 yards and two scores while adding a career-high 155 yards on the ground with two touchdowns, accounting for 376 yards of total offense and four touchdowns vs. the Wolverines. Over the final six games of the 2025 campaign, he generated 1,714 passing yards (286 per game) and 205 rushing yards while averaging 320 yards of total offense per game and 20 total touchdowns (14 passing, five rushing and one receiving). With the performance vs. Michigan, Manning became the only FBS or NFL QB in the last 30 seasons to have a game with 200-plus passing yards, 150-plus rushing yards, multiple passing touchdowns, multiple rushing touchdowns, no sacks, and no turnovers while averaging 15-plus yards per rush.
In his first full season as a starter at Texas, Manning guided the Longhorns to a 10-3 overall record to clinch UT's third-straight 10-win season – its most since 2007-09. Texas finished the season winning seven of its last eight games in addition to four AP Top-20 wins. The Longhorns went 5-2 against Top-20 opponents this season, with three of those wins coming against top-10 teams.
Manning was named to Walter Camp's All-America Preseason First Team and a Preseason All-SEC Second Team selection.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, 2026, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled Nov. 24, 2026. The winner of the 90th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10, 2026. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Saturday March 13, 2027, at the Coca Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Ga.
Texas opens the 2026 season vs. Texas State at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPN.
