Why Arch Manning's Early Shortcomings Might Have Been The Best Thing For Him

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning entered the 2025 season with an immense amount of external pressure and hype surrounding him.

However, when the first-year starter found himself unable to exert as much initial dominance as the public expected him to, he quickly became a major topic of negative conversation within the media.

In a situation where the talk won’t cease regardless of his level of play, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit believes his early failure might be the best thing that could’ve happened to him.

Herbstreit on Manning

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Mannig — Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs with the ball during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Manning entered the season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but a series of subpar performances blemished his reputation early on. Herbstreit commented on what this might means for the quarterback.

“Arch Manning, the best thing that’s going to happen to him, long term, is people going from, ‘He’s the Heisman. He’s better than Peyton and Eli,’ to, ‘This dude sucks. This guy’s trash,'” Herbstreit said. “To go through that and to not point fingers and to just endure that, man, is that going to help him. It sucks to go through it, but man, is that going to help him long term.”

The redshirt sophomore led his offense to just one touchdown in their Week 1 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which was followed by three wins against weaker nonconference opponents. The team opened SEC play by being upset by the unranked Florida Gators, drawing further attention to Texas’ inability to succeed against tougher opponents.

That being said, his Red River Rivalry performance against the Oklahoma Sooners could help change the trajectory of his team’s season. The Longhorns beat the Sooners with a final score of 23-6, and for Manning, it seemed like a significant step in the right direction

Herbstreit was in attendance for the matchup.

“I just had his game in Dallas last week,” Kirk Herbstreit said. “I think the greatest thing is that he’s going through this right now. I really do. As opposed to Anthony Richardson, the only failure he really met was injuries in Gainesville. All of a sudden, he gets to the NFL — the position is about overcoming failure.”

Better now than later, Herbstreit supposes when it comes to Manning’s struggles. That being said, success is more essential to the vitality of Texas’ season now than it has ever been.

They are a two loss team just six games into the season, and one more loss would likely close the door on their College Football Playoff hopes for good.

Their next matchup will commence at 6 p.m. on Oct. 18, against the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky.