Key Points:
- Arch Manning has rebounded from early-season struggles to lead Texas back into playoff contention.
- His grandmother, Olivia Manning, admits she gets more nervous watching him than her famous family members.
- Coach Steve Sarkisian praises Manning’s growth and poise as Texas prepares for a pivotal matchup.
The Texas Longhorns opened the season as the No. 1 team in college football in large part due to the otherworldly expectations for first-year starting quarterback Arch Manning.
The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class is the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, and sat behind three-year starter and eventual seventh-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, Quinn Ewers, for two seasons. Despite having just two starts to his name coming into this year, pundits such as ESPN’s Paul Finebaum declared that he was “the best player we have seen from every aspect since Tim Tebow.”
This take aged as poorly as milk in the desert through the first few weeks for Manning, as at one point, he and the Texas offense were booed at home during the team’s underwhelming 27-10 Week 3 win against UTEP. However, Manning flipped a switch following the team’s Oct. 4 upset loss to Florida. He has since led Texas to wins over two top-10 teams, and has thrown for 320+ yards and three touchdowns in the team’s two most recent wins against Mississippi State and No. 9 Vanderbilt.
While his family members are no strangers to fame, his grandma, Olivia Manning, admitted on the “Up & Adams” show that watching her grandson is even harder for her.
Arch Manning’s grandma says watching her grandson at Texas makes her nervous
When asked by Kay Adams what it’s like watching the youngest Manning play, Olivia Manning revealed that she has a harder time watching him play than she did watching her husband, Archie, or her sons.
“So nervous,” Manning said. “I think I’m more nervous for my grandson than I ever was for my boys…or my husband.”
While the world was quick to turn on the Texas signal caller earlier in the year, head coach Steve Sarkisian revealed to the media after the Vanderbilt win that Manning has grown up in a big way throughout the year.
“He’s really grown up before our eyes,” Sarkisian said. “He’s making great decisions. He’s throwing the ball accurately. That’s why you’re 7-of-11 on third down. I think at one point, he completed 18 of 19 passes. So, very proud of him. It’s been a long year, he’s been through a lot. So for him to have some of the success he’s having right now, he deserves it.”
Manning and the Longhorns were ranked No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, but due to the Group of Five and ACC’s automatic bids, they would not actually make it in at that spot. Both Memphis (Group of Five) and Virginia (ACC) would have surpassed them had the playoff been this week.
However, the Longhorns have arguably their biggest test of the season next week as they’ll head to Athens to take on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1). A win and they will skyrocket up the rankings, while a loss could end their playoff hopes.
The Longhorns have a bye this week.