The weight of a famous last name can turn a rough stretch into a full-blown national crisis. During the first half of Texas’ season, Arch Manning looked nothing like the polished prodigy fans expected. He threw five interceptions across his first five starts, struggling to read complex coverages while battling noticeable mechanical stiffness. Media pundits questioned if he was truly ready for the spotlight, but head coach Steve Sarkisian recognized what was actually going wrong behind the scenes.

The reality of that early downfall was spelled out in the box scores. Facing premier competition like Ohio State and Florida, Manning looked rushed, posting sub-60 percent completion rates and throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns. Instead of relying on his speed and natural dual-threat ability, he forced passes into tight windows while trying to play like a pure pocket passer. This is a sign of a young quarterback trying to live up to the legendary standard set by his famous family.

“Well, I think part of it was one, be himself. You know, I think sometimes we get into a situation where we try to be something that he’s not, or maybe that we’re not yet,” the Longhorns head coach said when asked how he managed to get the best out of Manning on the Colin Cowherd Show.

Sarkisian’s first major piece of advice was for Arch to just be himself. In big-time college football, it is incredibly easy for a player to try to be something they are not, or at least something they aren’t ready to be just yet. Arch was striving for absolute perfection on every single snap. Sarkisian noticed this and reminded him that nobody can play their best when they are overthinking every move.

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The second part of the message was a reminder to have some fun. Sarkisian beautifully pointed out that they “play” football, they don’t “work” football. Early in the year, Arch was treating the game like a stressful job. He was working so hard and trying so desperately to do everything right that he was accidentally holding back his own natural talent.

Once the second half of the season rolled around, the messaging finally clicked. Arch shifted to a trust-your-instincts approach, letting go of perfectionism. He stopped worrying about making mistakes and started trusting his instincts. The shift in his mindset was instant, and he finally let loose on the field.

But when you look at how he actually played in the first half of games versus the second half, the change was night and day. During the first seven games, he threw 12 touchdowns and five interceptions, and had a completion rate of 57.8% and a 131.60 passer rating.

Once halftime hit and adjustments were made, over the final six games of the season, Manning threw for 1,714 yards, 14 passing touchdowns to only two picks, and led Texas to a 7-1 stretch. Not to mention, he also used the best of his running ability, as he rushed for five touchdowns in that period.

By the time the season wrapped up, Arch had actually statistically become the most efficient quarterback in the entire country down the stretch.

And if that turnaround was any indication, it’s only getting better now for Manning. With the 2026 college football season just weeks away, the expectations for Texas quarterback Arch Manning have officially reached an all-time high.

Arch enters the 2026 campaign as a top Heisman Trophy betting favorite, and he has all the weapons to make a run for it. The Longhorns have three WR1-caliber players on their roster: Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and Emmett Mosley. Statistically, the upcoming version of Manning is the best one we could possibly get, as long as he’s being himself.