Prior to Texas defeating Oklahoma over the weekend to move to 4-2 on the year, an article by The Athletic labeled Arch Manning as college football's "first flop." Though the article did indicate the public could offer Manning more grace, it made clear that as of now, Manning has been a flop.
Through six starts this season in his first year as the Longorns' full-time starting quarterback, Manning has completed 61.08% of his passes for 1,317 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed for 194 yards and five touchdowns. Along the way, he's made some impressive throws and plays, but has been inconsistent between shaky moments and off-target pass attempts.
Manning was asked this week if he had heard about the article calling him a 'flop.' "I didn't know that, I guess I do now," Manning said. "I wasn't playing well and I'm going to continue to get better, but everyone has their own opinion. That's what's good about America, freedom of speech. It doesn't bother me.
When asked by @AnwarRichardson about the New York Times' article calling Manning a flop, Arch said he didn't see the article but he can agree that he wasn't performing to his standards...
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) October 13, 2025
"I wasn't playing well and I'm going to continue to get better but everyone has their own… pic.twitter.com/l2eunDFqvy
Manning also said, "I feel like I try to do my best to block out the noise and then you get 100 text messages, 'keep blocking out the noise.' There must be a lot of noise. I try my best."
While Manning was the first to try and slow down talk about him being a preseason Heisman favorite, his efforts weren't enough to stop the enormous hype surrounding him. Between his last name, family ties and recruiting profile, the expectations for Manning were out of control before the season.
Manning did earn his first win against an AP Top-10 opponent this week by helping the Longhorns defeat Oklahoma. In that game, he completed 21 of 27 passes (77.8%) for 166 yards, a touchdown and no picks. Even after that win, Manning isn't taking a victory lap. He'll continue to block out the noise, whether negative or positive.
"We won a game, but there's a lot of work to do," Manning said. "... You can't ride the highs and lows, you've gotta stay even and keep going."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arch Manning Had Simple Response to Being Called First 'Flop in College Football’.
