It was another rough day at the office for Texas Longhorns redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning. He came into the season with almost unimaginable hype, but has quickly fallen back down to earth in the three games he’s played. Texas is 2-1 on the season and still ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll, but they lost the season opener on the road at Ohio State and haven’t looked comfortable since in two wins against overmatched opponents.
In their Week 3 matchup against UTEP, Texas was favored by 39.5 points at home. They won the game 27-10, notching a win but falling far short of expectations and covering the spread. Manning’s poor play was a big reason why, as he went 11/25 for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception through the air, adding nine carries for 51 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The offense was stuck in the mud for the better part of the first half, and Manning was booed by the home crowd at points during that stretch.
“I gotta play better. [Today was] not good enough,” he said to reporters in the locker room after the game. “As y’all can see, I gotta play better for us to — maybe it slides against UTEP, but it’s not gonna win us games against the SEC. I gotta play better.”
“Yeah I think a lot of quarterbacks and a lot of players are hard on themselves because they want to be great,” Manning continued. “And it’s frustrating because I know I’m better than this, and I gotta play better.”
Arch Manning Knows the Texas Longhorns Need More From Him
Tim Warner/GettyAUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before the game against the UTEP Miners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Through three games, Manning is 47/85 for 579 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions through the air, adding 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. It’s a far cry from expectations entering the season, when Manning was one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and was viewed as a top draft prospect as soon as the 2026 draft.
In the post-game interview, he said he’s, “gotta play better,” no less than three times. He knows what’s required of him and how he’s falling short. If he wants to change the early narrative, he’ll have to do so on the field.
The Texas Longhorns’ Backloaded Schedule Works in Arch Manning’s Favor
If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that thanks to how the Longhorns’ schedule shook out, Manning has time to figure it out. Texas only faces one projected bowl team in their next four games — the Red River Rivalry against the surging Oklahoma Sooners on October 11.
To close the season, Texas plays Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. That’s a brutal gauntlet to finish out the regular season, and if Texas is to pay off their preseason No. 1 ranking and return to the College Football Playoff, they’ll need Manning at his best. Thankfully, he knows that, and he has time to figure it out.
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