College football coaches defend Arch Manning from pressure: 'Let the kid play'

Performances of Texas quarterback Arch Manning continue to be college football’s top hot-button topic. Especially after the Longhorns took their second loss of the season Saturday against Florida. Manning continues to be the center of attention, even as other areas plague Steve Sarkisian‘s team.

Plenty from the outside have commented on Manning’s play. Opposing coaches have even weighed in on the subject, defending the first-year starting quarterback.

“He throws a bad pass, he’s the worst quarterback in the world, he throws a good pass, he’s gonna win the Heisman,” an SEC coordinator said via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “Like, goodness gracious, just let the kid play for a little bit.”

Manning got two starts in 2024, which brought sky-high expectations this season. Five games into this year and results are not as expected. Texas holds a 3-2 record, while Manning has 1,151 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. His completion percentage sits exactly at 60%.

All three of those wins are against Group of Five programs as well. Texas does not possess a power conference victory yet, a stat you likely saw floating around social media recently. Penn State shares the same fate after back-to-back losses in the Big Ten.

One coach who did get to see Manning live echoed the sentiment of the first SEC coordinator. He compared being the Texas starting QB to what Dak Prescott goes through on a daily basis. There appears to be a ton of belief in what Manning can ultimately become, just needing a little bit of time.

“When you’re the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys or the University of Texas, you’re one of the most scrutinized people in the world,” he said after previously playing vs. Texas. “I just truly believe that that kid is going to be fine, if mentally he can weather the storm of the media and all these things. He’s a [five-game] starter and getting his wings under him.”

Attention around Manning is only going to ramp up in the coming days. Texas heads to Dallas for the Red River Shootout, facing the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s a game both teams need for different reasons, looking to start the second half of the season off well.

Nobody knows which quarterback Manning will directly be going up against. But his outing, whether it’s positive or negative, will be heavily followed. Opposing coaches appear to want everyone to take a chill pill and let Manning get some reps in.