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Arch Manning Receives Troubling Comparison Amid His Struggles

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 4:12 PM ET

The Arch Manning era for Texas hasn't lived up to the hype so far, that's for sure.

Manning started off the season with 170 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 14-7 loss to Ohio State. It was a disappointing performance considering he was the Heisman Trophy favorite coming into Week 1.

Texas received a bounce-back performance from Manning in Week 2 against San Jose State. He completed 19 of 30 passes for 295 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Unfortunately, that success didn't carry over to last Saturday's game against UTEP. The former five-star recruit completed just 44% of his passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

On the latest episode of the "Cover 3" podcast, Danny Kanell offered his thoughts on Manning. Although it might seem like an odd comparison, he claims Manning shares similarities with former top NBA picks Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons.

"There’s almost like a Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons something going on," Kanell said. "Those guys were all everything, they were supposed to be incredible, and then something happened. And it’s mostly mental. I was wondering how Arch Manning would handle the hysteria that was around him. He downplayed everything, but this is very much a quarterback which his confidence is completely shock. I feel like it's impacting his mechanics."

Sep 13, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Texas El Paso Miners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Kanell added that he was alarmed by Manning's inability to hit the "easy throws" against UTEP last Saturday.

“We’ve seen Arch make all the throws,” Kanell continued. “And even there were times in that game where he had a couple of nice throws, but there is way too many stretches where Sark [Texas coach Steve Sarkisian] is trying to get his confidence up by calling easy routes - quick hitches, crossing routes - and he was missing them.”

Manning isn't making excuses.

Despite his rough start to the 2025 season, Manning hasn't allowed it to impact his confidence. He knows he needs to be better moving forward.

"I've got to play better," Manning said after the 27-10 win over UTEP. "A lot of quarterbacks - a lot of players - want to be great. I know I'm better than this."

Texas will take on Sam Houston this weekend. That's the perfect opportunity for Manning to regain confidence against a defense that has given up at least 37 points in every game this season.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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