Kentucky Wildcats Coach Defends Texas Longhorns' QB Arch Manning

Love him or hate him, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is the most talked-about player in college football right now, and that takes a toll.

Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie Manning, received a ton of hype before the season, an amount that's almost unfathomable for a player who had thrown fewer than 100 collegiate passes at that point. As he struggled throughout the first five games of the season, the narrative shifted to how he is a bust, disappointment, or whatever synonym one wants to use.

Yes, Arch was always going to get a ton of attention simply because of his last name, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. In fact, one of his next opponents sympathizes with him for that very reason.

Mark Stoops Defends Arch Manning From Outside Criticism

Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ahead of Saturday night's game against the Longhorns, Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops accurately noted that Arch didn't ask for any of the outside attention and has done everything he can to ignore it so far.

“Well, I just think, you know – it is what it is,” Stoops told reporters Monday. “I mean, you know, I can’t speak for Arch or, you know, that, but he didn’t ask for any of that. I mean, you know, everything that I could see, and, you know, hearing from him is that he’s just a young man putting his head down trying to get better. And, I think a lot of that is unfair and it is what it is.

“You know, he understands that. I don’t need to tell him anything that he hasn’t heard from his famous uncles and fathers and all that. But, you know, he’s just a young man getting better with every rep, and you could see the confidence in him. And, why wouldn’t you be confident? He’s a very good football player.”

At the very least, Arch seems like he's starting to turn the narrative around. He's coming off possibly his best game of the season so far in Texas' upset win over rival Oklahoma, in which he completed 21 of 27 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown while adding 34 yards on the ground. He didn't light up the stat sheet, but he played clean, mistake-free football to help the Longhorns earn a statement victory.

Arch will look to build on his newfound momentum when the Longhorns face a Wildcats defense that ranks near the bottom of the SEC in most major categories, but Stoops and co. won't make it easy on him.