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Robert Griffin III Issues Blunt Advice to Arch Manning Amid College Football Season

As a former NFL signal-caller, RG3 shared his thoughts on Arch Manning's development.
Joe Cox|
His team is No. 1, but Arch Manning still has plenty to prove to FOX personality Robert Griffin III.
His team is No. 1, but Arch Manning still has plenty to prove to FOX personality Robert Griffin III. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Texas Longhorns

His Texas Longhorns are No. 1, Arch Manning won the big Week 2 battle against Ohio State, but there are still plenty of critics. Count FOX broadcaster Robert Griffin III among that group, as he recently offered some pointed advice to Manning.

RG3 Shares His Take on Arch Manning

"I believe he should come back for another year," said Griffin on a recent appearance of The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "When guys are ready to go to the NFL, playing college football looks easy for them.... It doesn't look easy for Arch yet and because of that, I do believe he should come back." Griffin continued, "Arch Manning to me needs more starts and he needs more opportunities to prove that he's mastered the college game."

In assessing the most-hyped quarterback in recent memory, Griffin made clear that his struggle to live up to his massive reputation is a significant factor in Manning's growth process. "Arch is still feeling that pressure of having to go out and throw for 350 yards and five touchdowns every single game to justify the attention that he gets because of the name on the back of his jersey."

Arch's Struggles

After a month of college football, Manning has been competent but hasn't consistently been impressive. He stands 11th of 16 qualifying SEC QBs in QB rating. His 862 passing yards is likewise 11th in the conference. Manning's seven touchdowns to three interceptions isn't bad.... but it's not necessarily in keeping with the reptuation that made him one of the most sought-after QBs in recent college football.

Manning was the top recruit in the nation in the 2023 recruiting class. He sat for all but a few snaps in 2023 and got two starts in 2024 after QB Quinn Ewers sustained an injury. In 2025, Manning was finally annointed as the starter at Texas and was a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite. Manning struggled, Texas fell from CFP contention, and the season was largely considered as a disappointment.

Could Arch Return for 2027 in College?

But Griffin's thoughts for Manning go even a step beyond 2026. Long considered one of the top QB prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft class, Manning could take advantage of the 2027 season to fine-tune his passing accume at the collegiate level. But the record on QBs returning to school is something of a mixed bag. Oregon's Dante Moore turned down a likely No. 2 overall draft selecton to return for the 2026 college seaosn and has already seen a significant injury against USC. Given that Manning's raw potential places him as a likely first-round pick, he may or may not be interested in Griffin's suggestion.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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