Five plays that will make you buy back into the Arch Manning hype as the Texas Longhorns prepare to rebound in their home opener

The Arch Manning debut against the Ohio State Buckeyes had a lot more positive moments than some are willing to admit

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Entering the 2025 college football season, there was a ton of hype for Texas redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning. Considered a potential Heisman Trophy front runner, and projected No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft class despite having less than 100 pass attempts on his resume, there were a ton of unrealistic expectations put on him in the preseason. Whether Manning played incredibly well, or if he struggled a bit, there was always going to be some hyperbolic takes surrounding him. His last name was always going to demand that type of attention.

During his first game against the Ohio State Buckeyes last week, Manning experienced more of the latter. The 6-4, 220-pound signal caller struggled mightily, completing 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He did, however, play a ton better later in the football game, but the beginning of his performance was really poor. We got every version of Manning, the young and inexperienced quarterback with rough patches, and some high-level throws that back up the hype.

When you fully break down the film, you are most likely going to leave a bit underwhelmed, and there are likely a lot of fans who have already removed themselves from the Arch bandwagon. When I watched the film, I saw a signal caller who most likely needs two seasons as a starter to adequately prepare for the NFL, but the upside is very much there. Of the 30 passes that Manning attempted against the Buckeyes, there were five throws that could make you fully buy back into the upside.

The consistency wasn’t nearly good enough, but the high-end throws certainly were.

The Eye in the Sky

You are going to find a theme wth these five throws from Manning. They all came later in the football game. When the pressure got higher on the Longhorn offense, Manning did start to let loose a little more, and take some chances. He has a bit of a gunslinger in him, and when he is aggressive, Manning is at his best. That includes a tight window throw on a post-wheel combination near the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Manning was seeing Cover 2, and needed to put the football over the cornerback, but in front of the safety. This throw was tremendous from Manning. He put it in a perfect spot, where if he were a bit late or early, there is a high likelihood that you could turn the football over. It was arguably his best throw of the day.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Manning’s accuracy was inconsistent footwork inside the pocket. He constantly compromised his throwing base, and tried to throw across his body, and sidearm all game. When Manning was consistent in the pocket, and stepped into his throws, he made some big plays. That included on a post route, where Manning had to put a little heat on the football. The natural arm velocity is definitely there.

There was a rep in the fourth quarter where Manning was pressed with a fourth and goal opportunity. We can debate whether Manning should have worked the inside breaker to Ryan Wingo, but he still made a big time throw to Parker Livingstone on the corner route. The redshirt freshman pass catcher wasn’t able to haul in the throw, so it goes down as a simple incompletion on the stat sheet. Whether it was completed or not, that was an outstanding throw with great ball placement.

One area of improvement we also need to see from Manning is a more consistent feel inside the pocket. You have to give some credit to the Ohio State defensive line, and linebacker Arvell Reese, who was able to get a ton of pressure on Manning. On this rep at the end of the third quarter, Manning plays with a great base, and has a subtle movement to his right to navigate pressure. Manning was able to step into the throw and deliver a strike on a deep comeback to the bottom of the screen.

The Ohio State defensive backs played an outstanding game against the Longhorns, and nothing was easy. The first, and only touchdown of the day, came on a slot fade to Parker Livingstone. Buckeye cornerback Jermaine Matthews was in great position throughout the rep, but Manning showcased that he is able to layer the football in a perfect area. He put the football out there for Livingstone, and was able to come out with a great catch.

That was a tremendous throw, and the definition of arm talent.

Let’s just keep this simple. Let Manning develop. Yes, he was far from perfect on Saturday, but there were still a lot of tremendous moments. I believe that Manning will have things humming down the stretch of the season. While it would still be wise to go back to school and be a part of the 2027 NFL Draft class, the talent is definitely there to be excited for the future.

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