There have been few players, maybe none, for whom greater expectations were set before they became starters than Arch Manning. Just a couple of months ago, the press was awash with analysts touting the Texas quarterback as a potential breakthrough performer and a Heisman Trophy favorite.
Three weeks into the season, the conversations have started to differ. Fans are wondering if the heir of the Manning legacy will last as the starting quarterback for the entire season, let alone next year. Inconsistency has been the most recurring aspect of Arch Manning’s performances so far.
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Speaking on Friday on the Pat McAfee Show, Nick Saban gave his take on the subject. The former coach believes the expectations set on Manning might have something to do with the nervousness with which he has been playing.
“Nobody has created greater expectations for anybody than what we’ve created for Arch Manning… I think that creates a lot of anxiety with players and I think that anxiety really hurts their development,” Saban said.
He also pointed out that other deficiencies in Texas’ offense might be exposing the quarterback.
“I don’t think Texas has been able to run the ball very consistently,” said Saban. “Which is going to put you in a lot of bad down and distance situations. That is gonna put more pressure on the quarterback because it’s an advantage for the defense. But I think when we had a player that was struggling, or when we lost, I always wanted to be the most technical that I could be. So the players could see, ‘If I just did this correctly, we could have success.”
“Texas hasn’t been able to run the ball very consistently & that’s not gonna help the QB..
When we had a player that was struggling I always wanted to be as technical as I could be..
I wanted players to see if they got things right we could have success” ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/xwHHYJbs1U
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 19, 2025
Fans quickly reacted to the coach’s comments on Instagram.
“He wouldn’t be saying that to him if he was coaching him,” wrote one.
“Expectations or not, he’s playing like a Juco QB,” complained someone.
“Sure anxiety is real but he’s actually playing like he’s never thrown a football before,” said another person.
A few people still think Manning could turn it around this year.
“He’s winning the Heisman this year,” claimed one fan.
Others blame the family.
“His Uncles and Grandpa created those expectations,” said someone.
Many brought up the LeBron James example, who was also heavily hyped when he was young.
“Lebron was on SI crowned the chosen 1 at 16 years old. I don’t think there’s any higher expectation than that,” recounted one fan.
Others put their trust in Nick Saban’s word.
“People gonna disagree and call him trash like this isn’t Nick Saban speaking on it lmao,” said one fan.
Arch Manning’s Numbers With The Texas Longhorns So Far in 2025
Manning has so far thrown for 579 yards, with six touchdown passes and three interceptions. What’s more worrisome is his 55.3% completion percentage. His poor performances have saddled him with a 49.6 QBR, which ranks 88th in the nation.
For comparison, with a similar amount of play time last year, he threw for 939 yards, with nine touchdown passes and two interceptions. He had a 67.8% completion percentage.
The one area in which he has improved is the running game. He has recorded 112 rushing yards, with three touchdowns in 23 carries. Last season, he logged 108 rushing yards with four touchdowns in 25 carries.
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