No player in the country heading into the 2025 season carried more hype and expectations than Arch Manning. As the former No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, and with the weight that comes with his last name, many expected him to be one of the top quarterbacks in college football.
However, Manning has struggled to find his footing early on, and one analyst recently highlighted what is hurting his play the most. An issue that must be addressed as Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian head into the most challenging stretch of their season.
Analyst Points to Key Issue Holding Back Arch Manning
To say Manning’s start to the 2025 season has been rough would be an understatement. The former five-star quarterback is averaging under 200 passing yards per game and completing just 55.3 percent of his passes, the second-lowest mark in the SEC.
The slow start has left many puzzled, especially since Manning entered the year projected as one of the top players in the country, a Heisman Trophy contender, and a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
So what’s the most significant factor behind the young quarterback’s struggles? FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt believes it’s his inability to adjust to the speed of the game at the college level and in the SEC.
“For young quarterbacks who don’t have a ton of experience, the first thing you have to look for is: Is the speed of the game affecting their play?” Klatt said. “It looks like that’s the case with Arch.”
Klatt makes a good point. For whatever reason, Manning has been late on his throws, struggling to read defenses, and, to put it lightly, an inconsistent passer overall.
The Longhorns fell to Ohio State in their season opener, but despite Manning’s poor play, they’ve managed to stay afloat against weaker opponents, defeating San Jose State in week two and UTEP in week three to improve to 2-1.
However, as CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell recently pointed out, Sarkisian is running out of time to fix his quarterback’s struggles. Texas takes on Sam Houston on Saturday, September 20, before heading into a bye week.
After the bye, the Longhorns travel to Gainesville to face Florida on October 4 to kick off their SEC schedule. From there, things only get tougher with ranked opponents like Oklahoma, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M on the horizon.
Sarkisian must help Manning adjust to the speed of the game and clean up the other issues before SEC play begins, or it could be a long and rough year for Texas football.
