Steve Sarkisian gave high praise to his QB1 on Monday. The Texas Longhorns coach stepped out to recognize how Arch Manning has handled the season.
This comes after Texas suffered a third loss and Arch on an "unusual” path to success. “I don’t know if any college player has kind of gone through what he went through before he even was the full-time starter,” Sarkisian said via On3.
Manning, a redshirt sophomore and former five-star recruit, emerged this season from intense media attention and insane family expectations tied to his last name and the Longhorns brand. After a rocky start, which included a season-opening 14-7 loss to Ohio State and several sub-par performances, there seems to be a different side of Manning we're all starting to see. The 389 yards and four touchdown game with no interceptions for Texas’ 52-37 victory over Arkansas Razorbacks is a start.
Sarkisian noted Manning’s growth has been noticeable, “He’s better and stronger for it today … He’s still going, he’s still going to improve, he’s still going to get better. But, I’m very proud of him for the way he’s handled so much of what we went through.”
Though Texas is unlikely to reach the College Football Playoff this season, Manning’s evolution has sparked optimism for the future. The Longhorns coach understands the journey hasn’t been perfect, sometimes “taking a road less traveled" is good to build character.
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