Superstar QB Arch Manning made his third career start on Saturday. It was his first start with Texas ranked No. 1. It was his first start against a ranked team, and his first road start. And in the end, it might be the start of which Manning got more or less exposed.
He finished 17 for 30 passing for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He ran for another 38 yards in 10 carries on the ground. But he also led Texas to just seven points and missed key throws late in the game that allowed the home Ohio State Buckeyes to pull off a 14-7 win. Is Manning overrated? It’s certainly a fair question.
Is Arch Manning Overrated?
The Manning Hype
To say that Arch Manning was one of the most highly-touted recruits of all time might be an understatement. 247sports rendered Manning as not only the nation’s top QB prospect in the class of 2023, but the No. 1 overall player in that 2023 class. Could that have been too high?
Maybe, maybe not. Of the other top 10 players in that class, the one with the most production is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who seems to be well on his way to the NFL. The No. 2 player in the class is UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava, who seems on his way to defeat in his first start at UCLA this evening. The No. 3 player is Alabama defender Keon Keeley, who has had basically no impact.
Manning came to Texas being hyped as the heir apparent to Quinn Ewers. He threw just five passes in 2023, seeing action in only two games while keeping and using his redshirt for that season.
Manning had more success in 2024, starting two games when Ewers was sidelined with an injury. Those games, against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State, didn’t exactly present much of a test for Ewers. He compiled the majority of his stats in non-conference action and against that awful MSU team. Manning passed for just 38 yards against the rest of the SEC, those passes coming against Georgia and Florida. Mostly, he sat and watched Ewers.
Manning’s Starting Opportunity
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But in Manning’s first 2025 start, he looked anything but confident. Yes, Ohio State’s defense is impressive, talented and aggressive. But Manning missed easy throws and simply never looked comfortable throughout the course of the entire game.
Even Manning’s scoring drive ended in a 32-yard TD pass to Parker Livingstone… or did it? Replays seemed clear that Livingstone let the ball hit the turf in the middle of what was ruled a catch. Even when Manning made plays, they weren’t necessarily his best work.
The biggest series of the game came with 2:26 to play, when Manning took over, trailing 14-7 and with a final chance to even the score. He did hit a 30-yard pass to Jack Endries to take Texas to midfield. But from there, after a run, Manning ended the game with a pair of incompletions, one notably behind an open Ryan Wingo, and a three-yard dump pass on 4th and 5 to effectively end the game.
The bizarre emotional scene after the game– Manning yowling and screaming in the tunnel as captured in social media videos— doesn’t do much to explain the situation. The can’t-miss prospect missed plenty of times. It was only Week 1, and Manning can still certainly live up to his preseason hype. But so far, he simply hasn’t.
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