ESPN reacts to Steve Sarkisian’s ‘absurd’ comments about Arch Manning

The Texas Longhorns football team recorded its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry after a brutal second-half showing from quarterback Arch Manning that included two crucial late-game interceptions.

In his press conference on Monday, Longhorns head coach defended his quarterback, who is the latest member of the Manning football family to capture the public eye, and asserted his belief that Arch is only criticized so heavily because of his last name.

“I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who’s beaten four Top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts,’ we’d be praising the guy,” Sarkisian said. “But the expectations are high for him. He understands that. The expectations are high for all of us. We’ve got to put our nose back to the grind and get back to work.”

On Wednesday’s episode of Get UP on ESPN, analysts Paul Finebaum and Jordan Rodgers weighed in on the coach’s comments.

“That is complete hogwash, and Steve Sarkisian knows that,” Finebaum told host Mikee Greenberg. “Greeny. I mean, that’s one of the most absurd things I’ve ever heard Sarkisian say, and I’m a big fan of his and will continue to praise him in spite of him just whiffing on that.

“I’m not even sure Arch Manning would be starting at Texas if his name was Joe Smith. He has played that poorly in spots. Now listen, I’ll defer to Jordan. You break down his tape, and he does very well, other than the fact that he blows the game against Oklahoma. And to me, that is unforgivable.”

“That’s one of the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard [Steve] Sarkisian say.”

@finebaum and @JRodgers11 comment on Arch Manning’s expectations with the Longhorns. https://t.co/p8Eaa66vlu

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 14, 2026

Rodgers offered a more measured take, but was still critical of what he saw on film from the young quarterback.

“Yeah, there’s no doubt that, that the expectations that Archer are under are in some ways unfair, especially at the beginning of his career because of his last name,” he said.

“No doubt. But when you just watch the tape, there’s inconsistencies with someone that everyone says is a first-round draft pick at quarterback, right? The accuracy, the velocity on some of the throws, the way he spins it. And then to me, what should be and was a strength at times, between the ears, that’s what keeps popping up. I’m like, how do you not see that? You have to see that blitz.

“You have to change protection. You have to do the things pre-snap that Mannings do, right, that we expect, and he’s just not doing it to this point.”

At 4-1, Texas hasn’t even reached the halfway point of his campaign, meaning there’s still plenty of time for Manning to hit his stride and turn things around. However, if he fails to do that and his game tape continues to show the same inconsistencies, it might make the most sense for him to return to Austin, TX, for one more season.

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