To say the least, it’s been ugly for Texas Longhorns head coach Arch Manning. This has come as a surprise to many, as Manning was the talk of the town entering the season.
Draft expert Mel Kiper ranked Manning as the number one quarterback prospect in the 2026 class.
“We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense. Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have,” he said.
He wasn’t alone, either. College football analyst Paul Finebaum called Manning “the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006.”
Manning’s struggles have since caused Finebaum to reevaluate.
“The bottom line is Arch Manning is not playing like an elite quarterback,” Finebaum said earlier this season, according to Awful Announcing. “He’s barely playing like a pedestrian quarterback. He had some good plays (against San Jose State), but that game doesn’t mean anything. Ultimately, I think we all jumped the gun. Is he in the Heisman race? No, Arch Manning is not in the Heisman race as of today.”
Many have even wondered whether head coach Steve Sarkisian would bench Manning, which the head coach has been reluctant to do, despite briefly sitting Quinn Ewers in favor of Manning last season.
“I felt like against Georgia with Quinn last year, we were a little bit overwhelmed as an offense in general,” Sarkisian said after a narrow win against the Kentucky Wildcats. “He had gotten hit with a pretty good sack-fumble on a corner blitz that he didn’t see coming. At that point, I don’t know if he was seeing great.
“Sometimes, taking a step back when you’re not seeing things really well, that’s a way to go. I didn’t feel like there was anything happening Saturday night that Arch wasn’t seeing.”
To his credit, Manning isn’t focusing on his job security, but rather on being the best version of himself that he can be.
“I control what I can control,” he said last week. “I work hard during the week, prepare my best, and try my hardest on gameday. That’s all I can do.”
Unfortunately, Manning may be sidelined after all, this time due to an injury suffered on Saturday.
“Arch Manning is in concussion protocol and did not practice on Monday, per Steve Sarkisian at his presser in Austin,” reported ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Now we will finally have a real QB at the helm. Let’s pray for a non-speedy recovery for Arch,” one jaded fan wrote on Twitter.
“That explains why Sark looked tense at the podium…Texas’ whole offense shifts if Arch can’t go,” someone else added.
“Texas might actually have a shot at winning this weekend now,” another fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Manning is healthy enough to play on Saturday, a pivotal ranked matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.