The Texas Longhorns’ start to the 2025 season has been one of the biggest surprises in college football. After entering the year ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll, they’ve stumbled to a 3-2 record through their first five games.
Much of the blame falls on quarterback Arch Manning, who was expected to be one of the nation’s top passers but has fallen far short of those expectations. With Manning struggling, rumors are swirling that head coach Steve Sarkisian could make a change under center, and one analyst believes Manning’s reaction to that decision might be surprising.
Could Arch Manning’s Upbringing Shape His Response To Being Benched?
Few players in college football entered a season with as much hype as Arch Manning did in 2025. The former No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class and nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning faced sky-high expectations heading into his first full season as Texas’s starting quarterback.
But things have unraveled quickly. The Longhorns are just 3-2 through five games, with both losses coming against the only Power Four opponents they’ve faced.
Texas’ offense has struggled, ranking 61st nationally according to PFSN’s CFB OFFi metric, and Manning’s individual performance has been just as disappointing, ranking 74th among all college quarterbacks in PFSN’s CFB QBi metric.
READ MORE: Arch Manning’s Texas QB1 Spot in Jeopardy As $25M Pressure Might Force Steve Sarkisian’s Hands
Given Manning’s poor performance, there’s been growing speculation about Sarkisian potentially making a change at quarterback. However, in today’s college football landscape, benching a player comes with significant risks. More often than not, it leads to that player entering the transfer portal and continuing his career elsewhere.
While that’s typically the case, Kirk Herbstreit believes that, of all the players in the country, Manning is best equipped to handle a benching, having grown up in a family that knows the ups and downs of playing quarterback better than anyone else.
“I think of all the guys that you would bench, he’d probably handle it the best,” Herbstreit said. “Probably because of his family and his background. It’s like ‘hey, if you make that decision, we got to live by it and move on.'”
Herbstreit makes an interesting point, but one that makes sense. Manning’s family would likely encourage him to finish the season at Texas even if he were benched. They know that facing adversity early in his career could ultimately benefit him.
If he is benched, he will most likely enter the transfer portal at the end of the season. Still, Herbstreit is right that Manning would handle the situation like a professional, not be reactionary, and take the time to make the decision he believes is best for his career.
