Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has been at the center of a storm of criticism after back-to-back losses, with some analysts even suggesting that his starting job could be in jeopardy. But Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow came to his defense a little bit this week.
The ESPN analyst argued this week that it isn’t fair to put all of Texas’ struggles on the quarterback’s shoulders. Tebow agreed that Manning needs to improve, but he pointed to some ugly numbers for the Longhorns’ offensive line as evidence that Manning isn’t getting nearly enough help.
Arch Manning’s Struggles
Manning entered the season as a preseason Heisman favorite and the early favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NFL Draft. But Texas has dropped two straight games, both by a score of 27-24, and Manning committed a costly late turnover in each.
Through six games, he has thrown for 1,295 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions, and the Longhorns have fallen to 4-2 and No. 19 in the AP Poll.
After the latest loss to Florida, head coach Steve Sarkisian said that “everything is going to be evaluated,” and Texas started giving backup KJ Lacey Jr. more first-team reps in practice. Josh Pate went as far as to say that Manning is “on thin ice” as the starter, adding that “without a good running game, this falls on the shoulders of Arch Manning,” via On3.
But Sarkisian has also stood by his quarterback, describing Manning as “edgy” heading into Saturday’s game against No. 7 Ole Miss.
“He’s edgy right now. And honestly, I appreciate that about him. At some point, he’s gotta fight back,” Sarkisian said, via Tyler Horka of Inside Texas.
‘It’s Not Just Arch’
While Manning has faced a lot of criticism this week, Tebow came out in Manning’s defense a little bit.
“Listen, so many people, and it’s easy to just jump on the bandwagon of criticizing a young man. I just don’t believe it’s fair. I don’t believe it’s accurate,” Tebow said in a clip shared by SportsCenter.
Tebow acknowledged that Manning needs to play better, particularly by taking the easy throws in front of him and “not forcing it down the field when there’s double coverage.”
“Yes, I think Arch needs to improve. I think he will improve, and he has to make more plays,” Tebow said. “But equally as important, he’s got to get more help. His offensive line has to improve. Receivers, although they’re really talented, they also have to improve.”
Tebow then backed up his point with some telling numbers about Texas’ offense over the last three weeks.
“The pressure rate for Texas offense has been 137th in the FBS. The sack rate, 135th in the FBS. Yards before contact for their rushers, 0.5, 127th in the FBS,” Tebow said.
“So it’s really easy to say, yes, it’s all on Arch. It’s just not true. Yes, he has to improve, and I believe he will. But also, he’s got to get more help. The offensive line has to improve. When you’re looking at those numbers, it’s very clear to say it’s not just Arch.”
Needless to say, Manning could use a big performance against Ole Miss to quiet the critics. But according to Tebow, he won’t be able to do it alone.
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