The Texas Legend Arch Manning Turned to After His Toughest Performance

It is no secret that Arch Manning struggled at times in his first season as a starter.

That was particularly evident during the first few weeks of the season, with each week proving to be an adventure of whether or not Texas Longhorns fans would see good Arch or bad Arch.

Over that period, Manning faced extreme and often times outlandish criticism from the national media, with some calling him 'college football's first bust', and others even lobbying for him to be benched in favor of his backup, Matthew Caldwell.

Then, when the Red River Rivalry came around, things began to shift in a positive direction for Manning.

And according to him, it wasn't just his legendary football family that helped him through that difficult time and got him back on the right track. It was also Longhorns legend Colt McCoy, who sat down with Manning for dinner after what many considered to be his worst game of the season against UTEP.

McCoy's Advice to Manning

Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy acknowledges the crowd after being introduced as a member of the Texas Longhorns Hall of Fame | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"Last year, I remember after maybe the UTEP game, when I didn't play well at all, I actually talked to Colt McCoy, which was really cool because he played at UT," Manning said on Sports Center. "So there was a there was questions I could ask, and he had been through some of the same stuff. So that was really cool of him to reach out, and we talked. We had dinner, so it was a really cool experience for me."

That advice obviously came in very handy, with Manning turning a corner and leading the Longhorns to wins over four ranked teams, three of which - Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M - were ranked in the top 10.

He also led an astouding comeback against Mississippi State, scored six total touchdowns against Arkansas, and decimated the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.

Manning is far from a finished product. In fact, as any quarterback would admit, he still has plenty of areas in which he'd like to improve in 2025.

"You're trying to get better at all aspects of the game. There's never going to be like 'I'm good in this stage of the game' or 'I got this under control'," Manning said to On3. "But I think getting more accurate was the first thing, and then letting the game come to me more so mentally, not chasing, just letting the game come to me and get the ball to my playmakers... Obviously, a lot can happen throughout the game, and adversity is going to strike in every game. You know, if the defense lets up a touchdown, I don't have to go force. Hey, we got to go score here in three plays. Just take what's there, and it's easier said than done. But take what's there, and you know, let the game come my way."

If he can continue to progress, and make those improvements to his game, Manning could be in for a historic 2026 season.

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