Steve Sarkisian Praises Arch Manning's Toughness After Loss to Florida Gators

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning may have had a rough game against the Florida Panthers, but no one can question his toughness.

Oct 4, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Aaron Chiles (8) pushes Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) out of bounds during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

To put it mildly, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is going through the wringer right now.

Hyped up as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate before the season, Manning has had an underwhelming start to the season as he's completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,151 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He completed 16 of 29 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday, which dropped the Longhorns to 3-2 on the season and out of the AP Poll entirely.

Even with a subpar offensive line and run game around him, Manning has been the subject of harsh criticism from fans and media, partly due to his own play and partly to him being the biggest name on the team. If there's one thing that no one can doubt, though, it's his toughness.

Steve Sarkisian: Arch Manning 'Fought His Ass Off'

Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) evades Florida defensive back Bryce Thornton (18) during the second half an NCAA football game in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 4, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During the game against the Gators, Manning was on the receiving end of six sacks and was pressured on an absurd 59.5 percent of his dropbacks. Despite that, he finished the game and nearly helped the Longhorns mount a comeback.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Manning's toughness after the game and did so once again in his Monday press conference.

"I found out he's a tough dude," Sarkisian told reporters. "He fought his ass off Saturday. And those were not ideal conditions for a quarterback to perform under. Is there a couple throws I'm sure he'd love to have back? Of course. But he stood in there, and he showed a lot of contact courage, taking hits, delivering the ball. There were some really impressive throws in there, and he battled until the very end.

"And so I think he learned a lot about himself as much as we learned about him. You know, that this guy's got a lot of courage, he's got a lot of toughness. I think he gained a lot of respect from his teammates Saturday, which is a great thing. Does he need to play a little better? Sure. Do we need to play a better around him? No question. And so that's the goal for us on that front."

Manning is clearly not afraid to put his body on the line, judging by the fact that he's the Longhorns' leading rusher despite all the sacks he's taken. However, Texas clearly doesn't want its quarterback taking that many hits week in and week out.

Manning may be a tough cookie, but the Longhorns have to make sure that he doesn't crack with all the hits he's taking.