This year has not gone according to plan for Arch Manning at the Texas Longhorns.
While Manning got off to something of a rough start last season, it was largely expected that he would make a leap in his second year as the starting quarterback under Steve Sarkisian. The Longhorns were ranked among the top teams in the country before a game of football was played, and had championship aspirations.
A few weeks later, the mood at Texas is a little different. The Longhorns lost to Oklahoma last week in the Red River Rivalry, and on Saturday blew a 17–3 lead at home against an unranked Florida team. It’s the first time that Texas has lost two straight games since 2021.
Making manners worse is the fact that in both games, Manning did not look good. Against Oklahoma, he threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including one in the final minute that handed the game to the Sooners. Against Florida, it was another underwhelming performance, completing 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a score. Nearing the halfway point of the season, he looks like a quarterback who is just as if not more likely to lose you the game as he is to win it.
Former NFL running back Damien Harris believes it’s time to stop thinking about Arch as a Manning. Speaking at the CBS Sports desk on Saturday, Harris said he was done acknowledging the Texas quarterback’s surname.
“Until further notice, I’m just gonna call him Arch. Because if you take away the last name, you have a below-average quarterback. That’s what he is, and that’s how we need to evaluate him moving forward. He does not see the football field well. He does not deliver a pretty football. He is not clean in his [operation]. … Mechanics don’t look good. Game management doesn’t look good. Nothing about Arch Manning’s game looks good.
“Arch Manning isn’t playing like a Manning. He’s playing like Arch. So until further notice, he’s known as Arch. We need to stop holding on to his last name saying, ‘We’re expecting more. We want to see more. There’s potential out there.’ No. Arch is a bad quarterback right now. And until he becomes a good or a better quarterback, Arch. That’s all you’re going to get out of me. Arch.”
“I’m just gonna call him Arch, because if you take away the last name you have a below average quarterback… Arch Manning isn’t playing like a Manning.”
@DHx34
#CFBPostgame https://t.co/wLTRMpUaeT
— CBS Sports College Football
(@CBSSportsCFB) October 17, 2026
Harris seemed pleased with his performance in the clip, as he doubled down by sharing it on his own feed.
Austin you have a problem… his name is Arch.
— Damien Harris (@DHx34) October 17, 2026
The “Manning” aspect of Arch Manning was always going to be a complicating factor, but it’s far more complicated now that he’s underperforming expectations, and not just by a little bit.
Earlier this week, ESPN was openly wondering if Manning would have the starting job for the Longhorns if not for his last name.
Sarkisian did his quarterback no favors last week when he spoke out in defense of Manning, saying the conversation surrounding him would be far different if not for his last name.
“I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas. Here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts, we’d be praising the guy. But the expectations are high for him.”
Sark is right that Manning’s last name does put more scrutiny on him. That’s been widely acknowledged, and it is totally fair to argue that the level of scrutiny he is under is unfair. But at this point, his last name is working more in Manning’s favor in terms of his consideration as a college player and pro prospect.
If he didn’t have his last name, the biggest question people would be asking about the quarterback at Texas is how he got the starting job to begin with.
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