With Texas not being as good as many had hoped after all the hype in the preseason, many are now turning on quarterback Arch Manning as he was not living up to all the expectations. He currently has the highest NIL valuation of any athlete at $6.8 million. However, many believe he does not deserve to be valued that much, including “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith.
Smith spoke about the young Manning scion and was asked if he deserves that valuation, to which Smith says no, but he did admit that the expectations given to him were a bit unrealistic.
“No, but I do not want to be cruel to him. Obviously, with his uncles being Peyton and Eli, there’s an immense amount of pressure on the kid,” he said. “But also, the lofty expectations, a lot of the experts, not me, placed on him, acting like he was so much more than what he has been thus far.”
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Smith added that he is actually quite hopeful that Arch Manning could get things together and turn it around for Texas and admitted that the quarterback has a lot of doubters right now because of his NIL valuation.
The young Manning really struggled in that road game against Florida, which is another team that had been struggling as of late. He was 16-29 in his pass attempts for 263 yards and two touchdowns. The loss also meant that the Longhorns are now 0-2 against Power Four opponents, previously losing their opener to Ohio State 14-7.
Arch Manning Says Loss Vs. Florida ‘Hurt’
After that tough loss at The Swamp, Texas needs to put itself back together. With Texas fans booing him, Arch Manning looked visibly frustrated with the loss as he spoke to reporters during the postgame press conference, admitting that his team needs to improve.
“As much as losses sting your heart, this one’s going to hurt,” he told reporters. “It’s always something to learn from. You win some, then you learn more. We’ll learn from this and get better.“
He added that he thinks his team should be able to start faster and play better. He also tipped his hat to Florida as the Gators “brought their A Game” against the Longhorns.
Head coach Ryan Wingo also spoke at the press conference and noted that Manning still has his support.
Related:
“Quinn Ewers Sucked”: Shannon Sharpe Calls Out Texas Fans After Arch Manning Gets Booed During Disappointing UTEP Matchup
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