Arch Manning finally made his long-awaited debut as the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. And while the team’s winning record suggests a potentially strong season for the program, many have started to notice certain struggles in Manning’s first three starts. As a result, head coach Steve Sarkisian may be facing a tough decision regarding his starting QB moving forward.
While the QB hasn’t shown any major flaws in his outings so far, it’s clear that at times he’s looked hesitant and lacked efficiency in the passing game — a combination that can prove costly in the world of college football.
Asked by the media whether he’s considering giving Manning some rest in the short term, Coach Sark responded candidly, stating he doesn’t believe that will be necessary at this point.
“If Arch was having a bunch of mental errors and not operating the offense well, that maybe would have required to take him out. I didn’t think that was the case,” Sarkisian stated, per Inside Texas.
Steve Sarkisian Longhorns head coach.
“Different things require different things to get your point across. We handled it accordingly. We’ll handle it accordingly this week and expect him to come out and have a great game Saturday.”
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Steve Sarkisian reveals his main goal for Arch Manning this 2025 NCAAF season with the Longhorns
Learning from mistakes
Sarkisian is well aware that Manning has had his ups and downs since the start of the season, but he remains confident that the young quarterback can learn from his mistakes and use them as a foundation for future improvement.
“I think some of this is really good,” the HC said. “Here’s a guy who’s had an awesome life. The way he’s grown up, where he played, the school he went to, the people he’s been surrounded by. I think you learn a lot about yourself through adversity and overcoming adversity and getting on the other side of that adversity. To have some of this adversity that he has right now, and when he gets on the other side of it, I think all of this is going to serve not only well for him but well for us as a team.
“Love the challenge for him. Love the challenge for us. He’s a strong minded guy. He’s got great work ethic. Great poise. Great composure. He’s an awesome teammate, so I love the end of the movie for him when he gets on the other side of this. Looking forward to it.“
More tests ahead for Manning
With the main goal of staying on track this season, here are the upcoming challenges the Longhorns will face:
- vs Sam Houston, September 20
- @ Florida, October 4
- @ Oklahoma, October 11
- @ Kentucky, October 18
- @ Mississippi State, October 25
