College Football Fans Believe Longhorns QB Arch Manning is Overrated

Glenn Kaplan

College Football Fans Believe Longhorns QB Arch Manning is Overrated image

Alan Youngblood

All off-season long, there was a lot of chatter aboutTexas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning being a Heisman Trophy front runner and also a potential number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Well, he has been the weak link of this Longhorns football team during the first five weeks of the 2025 season.

Texas has a 3-2 record this season. They are in danger of missing the playoffs after making the playoffs the last two seasons. The Longhorns lost on the road against the Florida Gators 29-21 on Saturday. They were ranked ninth in the nation before the game, and they are now unranked. Manning and the offense have not been in sync all season long.

College football fans believe he's overrated

Manning has not lived up to expectations this season. He has only completed 60.0% of his passes for 1,151 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has rushed for 160 yards on 43 carries and five touchdowns, along with averaging 3.7 yards per carry. Through the first five games of the season, Manning has not played anything like a Heisman Trophy candidate or a 2026 first round pick for that matter.

College football fans believe he is very overrated after another dreadful performance against the Gators. Some fans didn't understand the hype to begin with.

 

If the Longhorns miss the playoffs this season and if Arch continues to struggle, will they bring him back for the 2026 season? Will he declare for the NFL Draft anyways or will he enter the transfer portal? There are so many questions that are going to have to be answered about the quarterback position.

Manning is not in danger of losing his job unless he were to get injured before the season ends. This has been a disappointing season so far head coach Steve Sarkisian and the entire program. A lot of college football fans know that Manning is overrated, and he doesn't look anything like his uncles, Eli and Peyton Manning.

More NCAAF News:

Texas, PSU, Clemson prove point on college football polls after Longhorns, Nittany Lions’ losses to UF, UCLA | Sporting News

Glenn Kaplan

Glenn Kaplan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has experience covering the MLB, college football, college basketball, NBA, NHL and NFL, bringing a well-rounded perspective to his work. Glenn has contributed to outlets including FanSided, Wisconsin Sports Heroics, Gridiron Heroics and Pro Football Network, and began his career with Towson University’s student newspaper.