Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns won the unofficial award for most overrated team in the nation after their 29-21 loss to the unranked Florida Gators in week 6 of college football. The Gators handed them their second road loss, and the Texas Longhorns’ natty aspirations are in absolute shambles. Every time you think, ‘It doesn’t get any worse than this for Arch Manning,’ it literally does. National analysts are now questioning Arch Manning’s relevance and discussing the idea of benching Arch Manning.

On October 5, Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, Andy Staples, and Steven Godfrey hopped onto the Yahoo Sports’ College Football Enquirer podcast and put the ice on Arch Manning’s ability. Steven Godfrey reminded him that his free trial days are over: “That stopped yesterday. This is a flawed offense with a quarterback that does not look experienced and is not making good decisions. I don’t care what his last name is.”

Ross Dellenger recalled emotional turmoil and what a teammate once told him: “Arch told me he can’t wait to screw up in a game so everybody will stop thinking he’s the next great thing.” It looks like the moment has finally arrived for us. Arch Manning took that a little more personally. He officially screwed the Longhorns twice this season. He threw five picks in five games. The pre-season Longhorns are now 3-2 and are out of the AP Top 25.

Arch Manning’s performance against the Gators was appalling, particularly during the fourth quarter. The former 5-star threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and completed 16 of 29 attempts, which is nothing to sneeze at. But the real killer? 2 picks in the fourth quarter ruined the Longhorns’ chances of making a comeback. That loss against the Gators had Longhorns fans booing and questioning his ability, as did everything Steve Sarkisian said in the pre-season.

During the season, Arch Manning threw 11 touchdowns and completed barely 60% of his passes. Steven Godfrey’s perspective on Manning has altered. He can see the promises, but the floor has changed for Manning. Andy Staples from On3 brought the idea of benching the talented quarterback for their backup QB Matthew Caldwell (who went 1/1 for 26 yards against the Gators): “Ross, can you even do this? What if Sark watches film, watches practice, and says, “You know what, I have to go with the guy who gives us the best chance to beat Oklahoma, and it’s not Arch Manning.”

Can you say that in this situation, in this world? I ask you, Ross, because this is a business-side question as much as it’s a football question.” Godfrey jumped in, benching Arch could wreck the Texas Longhorns’ NIL strategy and recruiting foundation, both of which are tied to Manning since his arrival.

How Arch Manning changed the Texas QB pipeline

Arch Manning’s presence alone reshaped the Texas QB pipeline. To put things into perspective, Austin continuously stacked five-star players in past years, but prospects stayed away once Manning committed. As Staples said, “The reason you didn’t know who Texas’s backup was is because of Arch Manning.” Names like Dia Bell (Raja Bell’s son) were committed under the assumption that Manning would be the starter until 2027. No one in their right mind considered he might not be good enough to hold the job, which only makes the spotlight burn brighter.

The media and the college football world also share blame. “We all did it. We hyped him,” Staples admitted, while Godfrey added: “It’s not fair to the kid… they actually ran away from celebrity until the Warby Parker checks started coming in.” In the end, the analysts acknowledged Arch’s ceiling remains high. However, his hesitation and pocket indecision are the elephants in the room. Staples pointed out Arch Manning’s most significant flaw in his game: “The thing that keeps coming to my mind when I watch him play is the indecisiveness.”

Then, Dellenger stressed that Texas insiders kept saying he’d be fine, even projecting him as a future first-round pick. Yet, as Staples reminded, “Steve Sarkisian is a pretty good evaluator of quarterbacks, and he cleared the decks. Somebody told Quinn Ewers he wasn’t welcome back.”

That gamble put Texas all-in on Arch, and right now, it’s looking like one of the riskiest bets in the new NIL-driven era of college football.