Arch Manning has been under an enormous spotlight, with the Texas Longhorns quarterback expected to be one of the biggest names in college football and a top prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
But before he could even take the field for the Week 1 matchup against Texas State, Manning appeared to stumble and fall while making his way through the smoke-filled tunnel before kickoff, with videos circulating of someone trying to reach toward the Longhorns’ quarterback just before the incident.
Pat McAfee Reacts After Arch Manning’s Scary Incident in the Tunnel Pregame
Manning’s pregame entrance and fall went viral and became a point of debate among fans on whether the quarterback appeared to lose his balance while making his way through the tunnel or whether it was a deliberate push from someone in the crowd.
ESPN host Pat McAfee was reacting to the incident on his show and admitted that he did not like what happened to the Longhorns quarterback while recalling another dangerous incident from last year, where the Oregon Duck mascot lost its head after tripping and falling on the field.
“I don’t like what happened to Arch Manning before that game started. THAT CAN’T HAPPEN,” he posted on his X account.
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The former NFL punter, reacting to the video, said, “Somebody wanted to touch him.”
McAfee, though, acknowledged that it may not have been malicious. It might, in fact, have been someone looking out or trying to alert Manning before he stumbled in the smoke-filled tunnel amid equipment and camera personnel.
“Hey, Arch, we’re going to need you to run down the middle of the tunnel,” McAfee then joked. “Okay, we’ve got cords on the right side. We’ve got some [expletive] on the left side. We’ve got camera people over here. We’ve got some people that are a little handsy, too.”
“Okay, they’re going to want to grab you a little bit because you’re Arch Manning,” he added. “We need you in the middle of the tunnel.”
I don’t like what happened to Arch Manning before that game started..
THAT CAN’T HAPPEN #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7DRozGzLnR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 7, 2026
Fortunately for Texas, the scary incident showed no sign of it affecting Manning’s performance on the field. The Longhorns quarterback completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, finishing with a 74.07% completion rate as his team cruised to a 59-7 win over Texas State in Week 1.
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According to PFN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 87.3 in Week 1 and is currently ranked as the eighth-best quarterback in the nation.
Manning will be in action next when Texas hosts Ohio State on Saturday, with a matchup against Buckeyes’ quarterback Julian Sayin, who also led his team to a dominant 56-3 win in Week 1.
