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After experiencing limited playing time while backing up Quinn Ewers in his first two seasons at Texas, Arch Manning opened his first season as a full -time starts last Saturday.
The young quarterback ended the season opening 14-7 losses to Ohio State with 170 passing yards, a touchdown and an eavesdropping. The undergoing performance triggered mixed reactions from fans and prominent sports figures.
Heisman Trophy -Winner and ESPN “College Gameeday” analyst Desmond Howard was among the latest to offer thoughts on whether Manning will jump back and eventually live up to hype.
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ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY -Analyst and Heisman Trophy -Winner Desmond Howard on set before a college -football match between Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers on August 31, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Howard, who won Heisman Trophy in 1991, suggested that Manning should not have been included in discussions out of season about the leading candidates for college -football’s most sought after trophy.
“The whole hype and heisman talk around him was unjustified,” Howard said on Thursday’s edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.”
NFL Scout makes blunt admission about Arch Manning’s Show Against Ohio State: ‘A little hard to see’
“He doesn’t deserve to have his name in the same breath as the trophy.”
Howard also criticized what he observed from Manning when he saw films of him playing and theorized that his last name is hiding him from some criticism.
Texas Quarterback Arch Manning falls back to pass against Ohio State during the first half of a NCAA College -Football match, Saturday 30 August 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay Laprete)
“People don’t really want to criticize him, partly because he’s a staff,” Howard added. “They want to stay in good advantage with Mannings as they are a big name in our sport. So what they do is make it seem like Matt Patricia, the defensive coordinator of Ohio State, just called this brilliant game that kept Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning for Balance in four whole neighborhoods.”
Hype around Arch, nephew of NFL Greats Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of New Orleans Saints Legend Archie Manning, escalated when the 2025 season came closer.
Peyton Manning couldn’t be more excited to see his nephew, Arch Manning, lead Texas Longhorns in 2025. (IMagn)
Howard also shared his thoughts on Longhorns’ list as a whole and said the team was ultimately unable to surpass a team of Ohio State’s caliber on the road.
Scouts who saw last Saturday’s Texas-Ohio State Game were shared at Manning. An NFL scout described the view as “hard to see” while another took a more cautious approach to writing the book on quarterback.
Next, Texas is scheduled to host San Jose State on September 6th.
