Sarkisian talks about Arch Manning's incredible transformation and puts pressure on him: “He'll have to step up”

Updated 23/10/2026 - 11:37CDT

Arch Manning is heading into the Texas Longhorns’ showdown with the Ole Miss Rebels carrying a different mindset, with Steve Sarkisian describing his quarterback as “edgy” after weeks of scrutiny over his offensive struggles.

The change comes with Texas’ College Football Playoff hopes under pressure as the Longhorns have lost consecutive games to unranked opponents, including October 17’s 27-24 defeat to the Florida Gators.

Manning has struggled to deliver consistently and with the Rebels next on the schedule, Texas needs a response from its quarterback and an offense that has fallen short of expectations.

And Sarkisian believes the growing criticism has helped create a more combative version of Manning as the coach acknowledged that the narrative surrounding the quarterback has been shaped by everyone involved, including the media.

"I would use the word edgy, and I like it. He’s edgy right now," Sarkisian said. "And I think that somebody texted me today that we lost the ‘Aw Shucks’ kid and we created something else. I don’t know if we lost him. We created this. We did. All of us.

“Y’all included. Me. The whole thing, right. Everybody on ESPN, we’ve created this. And so we’ll see what comes out of it but he’s edgy right now. And honestly, I appreciate that about him. At some point, he’s gotta fight back.

“And the best way for him to fight back is going out and playing really good football with his teammates and enjoy playing football with his teammates. And so I’m looking forward to watching him compete Saturday night."

The challenge for Manning is to turn that attitude into better performances. Texas has struggled to establish a consistent offensive rhythm, and the quarterback has looked hesitant in the pocket during much of the season. Sarkisian’s play-calling has also come under scrutiny.

The Longhorns’ latest setback exposed problems on both sides of the ball as Florida, whose defense ranked last in the Southeastern Conference, held Texas below 300 total yards, sacked Manning five times and forced a fumble on his final possession.

The Gators recovered from a 17-3 deficit to claim a 27-24 victory, with quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. throwing two touchdown passes to Lacota Dippre and Jadan Baugh scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Texas briefly answered through Manning’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman, but could not regain control whilst their defense also surrendered lengthy scoring drives in the second half, while star edge rusher Colin Simmons left with an apparent ankle injury.

The defeat followed another loss to an unranked opponent, intensifying questions about whether the Longhorns can meet their postseason ambitions as Texas entered the season with expectations of competing for a national championship.

Particularly after Sarkisian made clear that simply reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals was no longer sufficient for the program. Now, the Ole Miss matchup has become a crucial opportunity to steady the season.

Manning has shown he can play with greater aggression, including during Texas’ fourth-quarter comeback against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now he must do it again – especially if he hopes to retain his value heading into the 2027 NFL Draft.