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Arch Manning is off to a rough start in the 2025 season. The former five-star passer has struggled mightily in his debut as Texas’s full-time starter.
Despite his inconsistency, local media refuses to temper their lofty expectations. They have, however, given up on this year’s version of the Longhorns.
Texas is 2-1 with two straight victories following a season-opening loss to Ohio State. Manning has failed to meet preseason hype that surrounded his redshirt sophomore campaign.
The quarterback entered the year as the Heisman trophy favorite. He’s completed just 55.3% of his attempts while averaging 193 yards per game.
Mistakes were expected against a Top 5 ranked Buckeyes unit fresh off a national title. Manning was expected to clean up his play while gaining confidence against UTEP and San Jose State. He didn’t.
His most recent outing was his worst. Manning threw for 114 yards and a pick while connecting on 11-of-25 passes. He’s thrown an interception in every game thus far.
Can Arch Manning turn it around?
Absolutely. The season is long. Growing pains were somewhat expected, though maybe not to this extent. He has nine more games, at minimum, to continue his development.
More experience can lead to more production, and in turn, more confidence. The game will slow down.
We’ve seen it happen for others in the past. The Texas media brought one of those most recent instances to the forefront in an attempt to provide hope for the future.
Arch Manning’s Tough Start to the Season Looks Very Similar to the Start of Joe Burrow’s 2018 Season 👀
Burrow Went on to Win the Fiesta Bowl and then the National Championship the Following Season 🏆 pic.twitter.com/PZbwFgigb3
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) September 17, 2025
Joe Burrow was up and down in Year 1 after a transfer to LSU. He followed it up by going 15-0 with a record-setting campaign on his way to a national title.
The comparison is notable for two reasons.
1) Texas media has given up on the Longhorns. LSU went 8-5 in Burrow’s debut, far from national title contention. Manning, to this point, has shown nothing to suggest he can lead his team to the promised land this year. The Burrow comp suggests a similar outlook.
2) Texas media refuses to reduce the pressure on Arch Manning despite his failure to meet unrealistic expectations. They initially expected a Heisman campaign to come in 2025. They’ve now pushed those projections to ’26.
Social media was quick to react.
“Wow just wow,” wrote recruiting analyst Mike Farrell.
“Honestly this is why Arch is in such a tough spot,” said another follower. “The hype is ridiculous. He has been horrible so far and now you are posting a graphic comparing him to Joe Burrow and mentioning a national championship.”
Others pointed out that the situations are not apples to apples.
“Joe Burrow transferred to LSU a few weeks before the season started and had to learn a whole new system and team,” commented Preston Guy of Tiger Bait. “Arch Manning has been on one team with one coach for three seasons.
“And for those of us who actually watched these two play, you could see two very different players and very different reasons for their struggles. Burrow actually played much better than his numbers suggested. He was accurate and productive. He just needed some time to feel out his team.
“Arch Manning is throwing passes to heels. This is a silly comparison for so many reasons.”
Can Manning turn it around and play winning football? Undoubtedly.
Should the Texas media be adding more pressure with potentially unattainable expectations for a first-year signal caller? Probably not.