The start to the Arch Manning era at Texas hasn't gone as expected.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback has been shaky through the first four games of the 2025 season, giving pause to the hype some had started that he was penciled in as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Manning struggled mightily against Ohio State in Week 1. He was 17-for-30, for 170 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. He added 38 yards rushing. He bounced back a bit in Week 2 against San Jose State, but had a rough one in Week 3 against UTEP. In that game, Manning was 11-of-25 for 114 yards, with one touchdown, one interception, and two touchdowns on 51 rushing yards.
So far this season, Manning is completing 61.3% of his passes for 888 yards, with nine touchdowns, three interceptions, and five scores on 123 rushing yards. He's been up and down but hasn't displayed the kind of confidence and arm talent that gets a quarterback selected with the No. 1 pick.
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman discussed Manning with several coaches and NFL scouts to get their perspective on what's going on with the 21-year-old so far this season.
One Texas program source told Feldman, "He’s a terrific athlete, and he throws the deep ball as good as anybody I’ve ever been around." Another Texas source said Manning was gripping the ball too hard early.
An NFL scouting director claimed Manning's Ohio State game footage was "ugly" and he proposed that he might have the "yips." That had caused "real concern" in the NFL scoutuing world.
"He’s talented, but he needs to get rid of what’s going on with him," he said. "I don’t know if it’s all mental, but I do know he’s dealing with a level of pressure that nobody else we’re talking about is dealing with."
The scout continued by saying that scouts need to see more before making a full determination on Manning's ability and that he needs to develop and play more.
Manning will have to get things sorted out of Texas is going to make a run at the College Football Playoff this season. And if he wants to repair his draft stock.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Scout Breaks Down Arch Manning's Struggles.
