A 27-24 loss to Oklahoma was enough to put Arch Manning back under the microscope. And the noise hasn’t stayed outside the Texas locker room. Steve Sarkisian has stepped in to defend his quarterback, arguing that the Manning name comes with expectations few players could handle. Fair enough, but Stephen A. Smith sees things differently, and he isn’t letting that argument slide.
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Smith wasn’t buying Steve Sarkisian’s defense of Arch Manning. On ESPN’s First Take, Smith delivered a blunt response to the Texas coach’s claim that the Manning name was fueling the quarterback’s mounting criticism.
“Let’s understand what the name Manning means,” said Smith before ripping apart the argument by laying out the family’s remarkable history.
“You had, you know, Archie Manning, and then you had Peyton Manning, one of the all-time greats. You have Eli Manning, who is going to want consideration, if not ultimately ending up in the Hall of Fame. You have two uncles that have four Super Bowl titles on their resume. Two uncles,” said Smith.
“One who is recognized as one of the all-time greats. And oh, by the way, they ain’t just uncles. They ain’t just people that had shared your last name. They practiced with you. They coached you. They schooled you. They’re at games. They’re attending the games. They’re watching.”
The ESPN analyst went a step further, highlighting Arch Manning’s athletic gifts and the advantage of growing up under the guidance of NFL legends. According to Smith, Arch also possesses physical tools that set him apart from the other Mannings.
Smith argued that it wouldn’t matter whether the quarterback was Arch Manning or an ordinary player. Put anyone under centre for the Longhorns, and the spotlight would follow.
“We be talking about anybody that’s playing at the University of Texas that is capable, but somehow, some way is underachieving. I don’t give a damn who,” said Smith.
The entire fiasco stems from Arch Manning’s disastrous fourth quarter against Oklahoma. Texas entered the Red River Rivalry ranked No. 1 in the nation, only to watch its perfect start crumble in a stunning 27-24 defeat. Manning threw two interceptions in the final quarter, and both proved devastating.
The first was returned for a touchdown, handing Oklahoma the lead, while the second shattered Texas’ hopes of setting up a game-winning field goal. With the game hanging in the balance, Oklahoma seized its opportunity, sealing the upset with a 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Despite completing 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Arch Manning’s late-game blunders proved costly. The Texas quarterback faced a wave of criticism, with some even calling for him to be benched.
However, Steve Sarkisian’s continued defense of Manning proved to be the final straw for Smith, who believes the young quarterback should consider returning for his final year of college football under a new coaching regime.
His NFL prospects have taken a significant hit as well, with ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. delivering a brutal assessment of the Texas quarterback.
Kiper ranked Manning No. 24 overall among prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft and just No. 6 among quarterbacks, a stunning fall for a player once viewed as a potential top pick.
“Manning is too inconsistent,” Kiper wrote. “He’s going to be a tough evaluation. Watch just about any game he plays, and you’ll ride the roller coaster.”
Manning’s numbers further explain Kiper’s unenthusiastic assessment, with the Texas quarterback completing 63% of his passes for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, while adding 102 yards on the ground.
“I’m very curious to see how the rest of this season plays out,” he wrote.