Arch Manning was on fire in the Spring Game for Texas. Here are my takeaways…
Manning went 19-25 for 355 yards and three scores. He did have one interception, but it was on a Hail Mary. You can find all of his throws from the game below.
The Good
— Manning went to his second read nicely a few times. That shows good pocket awareness which is something Steve Sarkisian has said he’s improved on.
— His accuracy was excellent as he hit receivers in the right spot and led them with the football for the most part.
— He looked very comfortable and in rhythm with many different receivers which is crucial. He seems to have a good chemistry.
— A lot of the short passes were thrown on time as he got the ball out quickly and led receivers to their spot. His release was excellent.
— He showed his mobility a few times as he can tuck and run and is by far more athletic than his famous uncles as a runner.
The Reality
— The pass rush was clearly limited or just plain awful, I’m not sure which one. He was under very little duress and had a ton of time to make each throw.
— The secondary looked awful as there were wide-open receivers for his two long TD passes and many receivers open over the middle.
— The linebackers' depth looked too short and it was too easy for Manning to throw over them.
— His arm strength is okay but not great. The last heave wasn’t pretty and didn’t go 50 yards in the air so this is something to watch. He tends to push the ball sometimes which needs to be worked on.
— He had a couple of throws where he led his receivers into what would have been huge hits so he needs to be careful with that.
Overall
This was a very solid performance and it often looked like a Pro Day which is a compliment but a concern as well. At times it looked like a 7-on-7 out there with weak coverage and little pressure, but on the good side, he was simply so accurate that he made it look easy. This is a reason for Texas fans to be excited and for Manning haters to be worried.
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