Texas Icon Is Concerned About Astronomical Expectations Surrounding Arch Manning

Former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is a bit concerned about the conversation surrounding highly touted signal-caller Arch Manning.

Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, is expected to be in the mix to win the Longhorns’ starting job under center in 2024. 

McCoy compared Manning to his former Longhorns teammate Garrett Gilbert, the Texas high school phenom who played 24 games for the Longhorns before transferring to SMU as a junior.

"I've been around Arch quite a bit," McCoy said during an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast. "I don't want to compare Arch Manning with Garrett Gilbert. But when I was in school, I loved Garrett Gilbert. [He] had a nice career, but he never lost a game in high school. He was right in Lake Travis, right in the backyard. He was crowned as king before he ever got on campus.

"And the moment he threw a pick or two or they lost a couple home games, it was like everything turned on him. It wasn't necessarily his fault. But the expectations were just astronomical.

“I sense a little bit of that with Arch."

Manning served as the backup quarterback behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy as a freshman, debuting in the Longhorns’ blowout win over Texas Tech on Nov. 24.

Murphy entering the transfer portal earlier this month has opened the door for Manning to possibly earn the starting role next year. Recent reports indicate Manning jumped from 210 pounds to 225 pounds of “all muscle” in his freshman campaign, further fueling the hype train.

McCoy is extremely optimistic about Manning’s future, but he’s preaching patience as the youngster paves his own path on the gridiron.