Steve Sarkisian told reporters Thursday that Arch Manning has had an "edge" to himself in practice this last week as Texas looks to turn its offensive woes — and season — around on Saturday against No. 7 Mississippi after losing double-digit leads in back-to-back games.
That said, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky took a shot at Texas' offense on Friday's edition of ESPN's "First Take" and said Sarkisian's offensive scheme doesn't allow the 6-4 quarterback to play the position properly, as the offense as a whole has "absolutely regressed."
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"From a strictly football perspective, I hate Texas' offense. I can't stand watching it. They don't allow Arch to play quarterback," Orlovsky said on "First Take" on Friday. "They ask him to play thrower. Throw ball here, throw ball there. That's it. There are very little tools given to the quarterback.
"They run the same plays all the time. ... It's an offense right now that is absolutely regressed. Absolutely regressed the player."
"They don't allow Arch [Manning] to play quarterback."
— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) October 23, 2026
Dan Orlovsky tears into Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns offense. pic.twitter.com/FN47a6hP06
Manning has had an up-and-down last two weeks running the Longhorns' offense, particularly in the fourth quarter, as he has turned the ball over on several occasions in the final frame alone. In Texas' Week 6 loss to Oklahoma, Manning threw two interceptions — one of which was returned for a pick-6 and the other set up a game-winning touchdown — in the fourth quarter, while in last Saturday's loss to Florida, the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning couldn't hold onto the ball on a sack while trailing late in the frame, resulting in a fumble.
Texas' offense as a whole ranks 11th in the SEC in scoring (30.17 points per game), 12th in total offense (362.3 yards per game), 13th in rushing (136.0 yards per game) and 11th in passing (226.3 yards per game). Individually, Manning is 68th in the nation among quarterbacks in passing yards (1,295) and tied for 41st in touchdowns (11).
Once considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, an NFL scout told USA TODAY Sports' Matt Hayes this past week an NFL team might take Manning in "the third or fourth round right now."
Orlovsky continued by noting he believes the relationship between Texas, Sarkisian and Manning is "certainly done", and that Manning should not go to the NFL following the season and instead use the final year of his eligibility elsewhere.
"I believe Arch should leave Texas and go to a place that adamantly can develop him as a quarterback," Orlovsky said. "That gives you the ability to play quarterback (and) see reads."
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Despite saying that, Orlovsky added an asterisk to his assessment, citing two questions that come to mind when he watches Texas. Because he's not inside the Longhorns' building, he said he can't answer them: Whether Sarkisian doesn't want Manning to play a certain way, or whether Manning "is not smart enough to play a certain way."
Texas and Ole Miss are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium where Manning is searching for his seventh win against a ranked opponent as the Longhorns' full-time starter.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Orlovsky blasts Texas offense: 'They don't allow Arch to play quarterback'