Kirk Herbstreit Doesn’t Sugarcoat Thoughts on Arch Manning Before Season Opener

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 12:19 PM ET

The college football season is set to begin in the coming weeks, and one of the most anticipated Week 1 matchups will unfold in Columbus, Ohio, as the Texas Longhorns face off against the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

While both teams are viewed as national title contenders, the game also marks Arch Manning's first start as the Longhorns' primary quarterback. Manning has been one of the most talked-about figures in college athletics since he committed to Texas in 2023.

Despite all the hype surrounding him, ESPN’s “College GameDay” analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently said Manning can no longer be protected and will face immense pressure with every game. Herbstreit warned that if Manning struggles out of the gate against the Buckeyes, criticism and opinions will come swiftly.

“Because of that last name, you can only protect him for so long,” Herbstreit said during an exclusive interview with The Escapist. “Now he’s going to go out there, and everyone is going to make a judgment on how he plays in that game. Not that he can’t correct it the next week or later in the year, but there’s going to be some strong social media opinions on what they see from Arch based on how he plays in that game Week 1.

He also stated that when asked about the Week 1 pressure—compared to the pressure on Ohio State as defending champions and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian aiming for a big non-conference win—the majority of the pressure will fall on Manning.

“You have the defending national champs that are always under pressure, especially at home. You have Texas coming in with Steve Sarkisian and with Arch Manning," Herbstreit added. "I don’t think it’s a lose-the-game, you’re-out-of-the-playoff kind of game. So I don’t know if it’s that kind of pressure, but I think just the expectations on Arch Manning, he probably has the most pressure."

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Arch Manning was a five-star recruit, the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2023 — and, of course, the nephew of NFL legends Eli and Peyton Manning.

Despite that, he chose to stay at Texas and wait for his opportunity behind Quinn Ewers rather than transferring out. While he made some starts and brief appearances last season, he hasn’t yet played a game close to the magnitude of what he’ll face in Week 1. To make things even more challenging, he’ll be playing on the road. Still, he very well could be up for the challenge.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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