Why Texas QB Arch Manning should consider turning heel in 2026

Texas Longhorns junior quarterback Arch Manning should consider using Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" as his theme song this upcoming season. 

Manning has often appeared polite, almost to a fault, never saying or doing anything that rocks the boat. That still hasn't prevented him from becoming college football's biggest lightning rod. 

Many have shaded Arch Manning this offseason

The Ringer's Todd McShay, a longtime NFL Draft expert, attended the 30th Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University in Louisiana in June. Manning participates at the annual camp alongside his uncles, Super Bowl champions Peyton and Eli, and grandfather, former New Orleans Saints star Archie. Despite that, some campers didn't cheer on the Texas star.

"I'm down at the Manning Passing Academy, and there are some [expletives] in the stands who are actually booing Arch. And I'm like, the Manning family has invited you in, one of 1,400 campers to come in, and we've got a group of like 15 kids that are booing him," McShay told Barstool Sports' Brandon Walker on his podcast on Tuesday (h/t The Spun's Andrew Holleran). 

Scouts have also dissed Arch Manning. In a poll conducted by CBS Sports' John Talty, 10 talent evaluators tabbed him and Oklahoma State Cowboys QB Drew Mestemaker as the most overrated players in college football. Calling Arch Manning (26 passing TDs in 2025, No. 3 in SEC) overrated seems like a stretch. 

Arch Manning shouldn't let the boos or the criticisms knock him down. He should use them as seeds that sprout the sport's biggest heel turn.  

Why Arch Manning should consider turning heel

Arch Manning struggled mightily in his first five games last season, going 3-2 and completing a season-low 44 percent of his passes in a 27-10 Week 3 win over the UTEP Miners. Perhaps that tied to the 22-year-old QB trying to people-please too much. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian noted that when he stopped trying to, things turned.

"The second half of the season he just kinda said: 'Screw it, I'm gonna go play,'" Sarkisian told FS1's Colin Cowherd Tuesday. "The team really started to feed off of that."