Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game between the Sooners and the Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Tim Tebow Reveals Shocking Stats That Shift the Blame Off Arch Manning 1
Arch Manning is one of the rising quarterbacks in college football, currently playing for the Texas Longhorns football program. He is also part of the prestigious Manning family, being the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.
There are high expectations on him due to his family and talent. Despite his struggles right now, he has now been defended by a former player.
Tim Tebow defends Arch Manning and blames O-line
Manning has not been having a great time on the field with the Longhorns. After leading the team to a 4-0 start, Manning and the offense collapsed in consecutive 3-point SEC losses to unranked Oklahoma (27-24) and Florida (27-24). These back-to-back collapses caused Texas to drop from No. 1 in the AP Top 25 down to No. 19.
Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The quarterback has completed 106 of 166 passes for 1,295 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions through six games in 2026, posting a 63.9% completion rate and 145.2 passer rating. Among SEC quarterbacks, Manning ranks near the top in interceptions thrown and among the leaders in sacks taken. The young player is currently garnering a lot of criticism for his late-game turnovers and decline in performance.
ESPN analyst and former NFL player Tim Tebow recently addressed the situation on SportsCenter. He felt that Manning was being unfairly criticized and that it was actually the offensive line’s fault. He said, “I just don’t believe it’s fair. His offensive line has to improve. Receivers, although they’re really talented, also have to improve when they’re getting one-on-one.
He added, “So it’s really easy to say, yes, it’s all on Arch. It’s just not true. Yes, he has to improve, and I believe he will. But also, he’s gotta get more help. The offensive line has to improve. When you’re looking at those numbers, it’s very clear to say it’s not just on him.”
Tebow also mentioned stats to back up his claim, “The last three weeks, the pressure rate for the Texas offense has been 137th in the FBS. The sack rate, 135th in the FBS. Yards before contact for their rushers: 0.5, 127th in the FBS.” Ahead of the next game against the Ole Miss Rebels, Manning’s behavior has changed.
Steve Sarkisian speaks on Arch Manning’s behavior
Before the next game against Ole Miss, head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about Manning. The head coach believed that the player’s behavior had changed. He said, “I would use the word edgy, and I like it. He’s edgy right now.”
Sarkisian also felt that this change came due to the pressures on him, “Somebody texted me today that we had lost the ‘Ahh Shucks’ kid, and we created something else. I don’t know if we lost him. We created this. We did. All of us. Y’all included. Me. The whole thing, right. Everybody on ESPN, we’ve created this. And so we’ll see what comes out of it.”
Arch Manning and the Longhorns will now focus on the next game against Ole Miss and hope for a victory.
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