Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Says Arch Manning Only Criticized for ‘Name Off the Back of His Jersey’
Sarkisian said Manning has been unfairly judged because of his family name despite 1,122 passing yards and 10 touchdowns through five games.
- Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian defended quarterback Arch Manning on Monday, arguing the signal-caller faces unfair scrutiny largely because of his famous last name rather than his actual performance.
- In the 27-24 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, Manning completed 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards but threw two costly fourth-quarter interceptions that directly cost Texas the game.
- Sarkisian used a hypothetical analogy to illustrate his point: "If you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said, 'Here's Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here's a guy who's beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts,' we'd be praising the guy."
- Despite criticism rooted in his family connections, Manning holds a 14-4 record as a starter and has secured top-10 wins over Ohio State, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma, validating Sarkisian's argument about overlooked success.
- The Longhorns host Florida at noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 17 at DKR Texas-Memorial Stadium as Manning and Texas seek to rebound from the Oklahoma loss and silence ongoing doubts about the quarterback's consistency.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Says Arch Manning Only Criticized for ‘Name off the Back of His Jersey’
The Texas Longhorns are undoubtedly off to a good start to the 2026 college football season, boasting a 4-1 record with a win over previously top-ranked Ohio State. But when your quarterback, Arch Manning, is the nephew of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, “good” doesn’t always feel good […]
Steve Sarkisian’s ‘Joe Smith’ argument for Arch Manning is absolute nonsense for an average QB - NEW YORK TIMES POST
The narrative around Arch Manning at Texas would probably be a tad easier to deal with if head coach Steve Sarkisian would stop adding unnecessary fuel to the fire. We all understand whether the Longhorns quarterback receives a lot more attention than others across the country based off his last name alone, that’s a given. [...]
Steve Sarkisian’s ‘Joe Smith’ argument for Arch Manning is absolute nonsense for an average QB
Steve Sarkisian's defense of Arch Manning's expectations is drawing criticism as the Texas Longhorns quarterback continues to play inconsistently this college football season.
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