Texas quarterback and potential top 2026/2027 draft prospect Arch Manning has not lived up to the hype in his first season as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback.
Among qualified FBS quarterbacks, Manning ranks 42nd in yards per attempt (8.4), 62nd in yards per game (222), and 88th in completion percentage (61.3%). Those numbers fall far short of the expectations for the preseason Heisman favorite, and it is impacting his perception at the NFL level.
Manning’s particularly rough performance against Ohio State in the season opener has created “real concern about him within the scouting world,” per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. The 21-year-old has been scrutinized for his entire playing career due to his family tree with much of the college football world talking about his potential for the last two years.
“He’s talented, but he needs to get rid of what’s going on with him,” said one of Feldman’s NFL sources. “I don’t know if it’s all mental, but I do know he’s dealing with a level of pressure that nobody else we’re talking about is dealing with.”
This is also Manning’s first year as a full-time starter, and that is not the only change to the Longhorns offense. They have several new starters, including four along the offensive line, so some early missteps are understandable, but NFL scouts will be looking for Manning to bounce back in a big way for the rest of the year.
Unsurprisingly, Feldman’s sources within the Texas program are more optimistic about Manning, particularly his athleticism and natural throwing ability. They may also be more confident that he will stay in college for four years. Many suspect that will be the case because his uncles Peyton and Eli Manning did the same thing on the advice of their father (Arch’s grandfather and namesake) Archie Manning. Sticking around in Austin in 2026 will give Arch Manning more time to develop in college and potentially recover from a disappointing 2025 season before entering the 2027 draft.
I have agree about Arch not looking good at all…
He’s got this side arm throwing motion he uses way too much and on crucial downs…it’s never accurate and I have no idea why he does it to be honest…
Anyway I’m sure most of it is mental and that side arm throwing motion can get fixed…
I do expect to see him improve as the year goes on and I also expect him to stay for his 2026 season in Texas…
Quinn Ewers didn’t end up being good either. Seems like Texas always has the fastest WRs at the combine, but none of them are studs at the next level. Probably because the don’t run a full route tree. Perhaps Austin just isn’t a good place for QBs to become NFL QBs.
Eventually, he might need to play like a 1st round pick to be one. Guy sat for a few years and then has since played badly. That’s not a 1st rounder.
There’s the state of the sports world in a microcosm… The guy is four games into his career as a college starter and half the universe is willing to write him off as a bust…
This is after he played 2 games and was anointed the clear cut #1 pick and teams were all tanking for him. Stop listening to the media. They just need shiz to talk about.
Having a ‘name’ doesn’t make anyone a NFL quality player.
There many many examples of name failures to reach heights forecast by writers and reporters that place recognition of family as a ‘athletic attribute worthy of accolades’.
Hard efforts, intense study, time at position, acceptance of coaching and ignoring bs ‘pats on the back’ makes more ‘players’ than a recognizable name.
It’s almost like 21 year old college kids might feel/succumb to pressure a bit more than adults.
Anyone willing to write him off as a bust already is gonna have some serious egg face. Is he gonna be Peyton? No. Can he be Eli? I think so and regardless of what you think of him, that guy won 2 super bowls and is a borderline HOF guy.
It’s almost as if NIL only increased pressure and ruthlessness for a generation that already complains of increased social pressure in an internet age…
My opinion on that aside, the one positive of this is that the stars (or, rather, big names) don’t need necessarily to rush for the NFL for money. Arch has plenty of it to begin with, but he can stay comfortably in Austin or wherever if he wants to and improve his game. I’ve personally come to the conclusion that many others here have-that he can be much too indecisive and seems to try too hard to make the perfect play. In his case, perhaps the pressure simply from sitting was too much. Right now, I’d say I’m not concerned. The best chance that Manning could have to get comfortable would be for the media attention to die down.
The obvious concern for him now is whether the mental pressure of living up to expectations will conquer him, but the advantage of not being the savior that he was expected to be is that perhaps the media as a whole will drift to other players and give him a better chance to develop at his own pace. We’ll see if that’s all he needs, but my valuation is that it’s too early to come to a conclusion a year before the player will even be drafted.
He’ll be fine and he’s not coming out this year anyway.
I think that’s the most important thing. He’ll have two years of experience before even coming out.
From what I’ve seen of him this season, he looks like he just needs experience.
A bit hesitant with decision making. When he came in the game last season here and there, it appeared the plays were pre-designed. No decision making required. I think it’s unlikely he comes out in the next draft anyway.
Nussmeier and Klubnik were supposed to be the ones to watch this season and so far have both looked very average.
There were plenty of scouts that said he was. 3 star and not a 5 star coming out. They said he got the extra stars because of his name.
The media does not know how to scout and they hype up names.
See last year’s draft for recent evidence.
The media’s job is to sell stories. You do that with names like Sanders or Manning. It is the job of teams to scout talent.
He’s got the physical tools and of course got the best coaching/training money could buy, but so far he isn’t showing an aptitude for the game.