NFL scouts are singing a slightly different tune regarding Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning following his underwhelming first month of the 2025 season.
In a recent article for The Athletic, college football insider Bruce Feldman spoke with scouts regarding the struggles of 2026 draft-eligible quarterbacks many expected to be among the top in their class, including Manning.
Alarms raised over Arch Manning’s poor start
Through four games, the redshirt sophomore is 65-of-106 for 888 yards (8.4 yards per attempt), 14 total touchdowns (nine passing, five rushing) and three interceptions. He flopped in his toughest test, on the road in Week 1 against Ohio State, when he averaged 5.7 yards per attempt while completing 56.7 percent of his passes in a 14-7 loss.
He was even worse at home against UTEP two weeks later, finishing with a 44 percent completion rate and 114 pass yards. His numbers have been lifted by starts against San Jose State and Sam Houston, teams that are a combined 1-7 and rank outside the top 100 in the country in scoring defense.
Manning’s performance has raised concerns from scouts. One (accurately) described his Ohio State film as “ugly,” according to Feldman, who noted that the scout also shared they “don’t know if the former five-star recruit has the ‘yips,’ but that there is real concern about him within the scouting world.”
Manning can begin to change the narrative surrounding his first season as a starting college quarterback in Week 6. Associated Press No. 9 Texas (3-1) travels to Gainesville for its SEC opener at the Florida Gators (1-3, 0-1 in SEC). Per ESPN BET, the Longhorns are a 6.5-point favorite, but the Gators, despite their record, are by no means a guaranteed victory.
Florida ranks No. 24 in the country in scoring defense (16 points per game) and is 4-2 at home against ranked opponents when unranked under head coach Billy Napier, including 3-0 versus SEC teams, per Stathead research.
According to Pro Football Focus data, Manning has been pressured on 35.9 percent of his dropbacks, the second-highest rate among 17 qualifying SEC quarterbacks. He’s averaged 4.18 seconds to throw on downs when pressured, suggesting part of the problem stems from Manning holding onto the ball too long.
Florida ranks last in the SEC in sacks (three), and Manning must take advantage of the inconsistent Gators pass rush. If he does, Manning could ease some of the concerns his play raised over the first month of the season.
