Twenty starts into his college career, Arch Manning is still searching for consistency, and Oklahoma exposed that struggle in brutal fashion. Two fourth-quarter interceptions turned a promising performance into a costly defeat, with a 42-yard pick-six shifting momentum before his final turnover set up the Sooners’ winning 47-yard field goal. While Manning may be replaying those mistakes, one FOX analyst has a bold suggestion: leaving Steve Sarkisian could be better for him.

Arch Manning is in his fourth season of college football, but should he return to Texas for one more year or take his chances in the NFL Draft? FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd believes Manning should head to the NFL sooner rather than later.

“He’s big. He moves. He’s smart. He’s a Manning. And he does have—he has a—I don’t know if he has a plus arm, but he makes some nice throws. He’s just all over the map consistently. My take is: NFL coaching, if you get the right guy, is better than college coaching. And being in an NFL facility is better than being on a college campus,” said Cowherd on his YouTube channel on October 12.

“But I’m watching him, and I’m thinking, he’s big, he moves, he’s smart, he’s got a ton of college starts now by the end of the year. Why not just draft him and sit him for a year or two?” Cowherd added.

Arch Manning’s 2026 campaign has been nothing short of a roller coaster, swinging from a spectacular 305-yard, four-touchdown performance against Texas State to a frustrating 161-yard outing against UTSA. And just when Texas needed him to deliver against Oklahoma, two costly interceptions helped turn a potential statement win into a crushing 27–24 defeat.

Entering the NFL Draft with these numbers might not work in Manning’s favor, and he may have plenty to prove before leaping. Cowherd’s take is also completely opposite of what his FOX colleague Joel Klatt has been saying. The latter believes that QB success in the pros is directly proportional to the number of starts a QB has in college. In Manning’s case, another year in college won’t hurt.

But can Texas’ struggles really be pinned entirely on its quarterback? Certainly not. Despite major changes, Steve Sarkisian’s offense continues to hold Texas back. The unit remains inconsistent, and at this stage of Arch Manning’s development, that’s a troubling sign. Once again, the Longhorns are leaning on their defense to bail them out, exposing a growing problem on Sarkisian’s side of the ball.

Against the Sooners, Texas’ offense converted just three of 14 third-down attempts and punted eight times. On top of that, the Longhorns committed eight penalties, costing them 61 crucial yards. Despite boasting immense talent and arguably one of the most expensive rosters in college football, Texas’ offense remains a problem.

When asked if he would let anyone else handle the playcalling, Sarkisian replied, “Not a chance.”

Sarkisian will have to accept the truth that Texas’ offensive struggles are getting worse with each passing season. The Longhorns ranked 34th in yards per play in 2024 before slipping to 41st last season and a shocking 109th entering Saturday. The red-zone issues persist, as Texas settled for a 23-yard field goal despite reaching the 5-yard line.

One could argue that the struggles stem from a tough schedule. However, Texas managed just 300 yards and 30 points against UTSA, a team that surrendered 45 points to Colorado State.

Texas has plenty of talent surrounding Arch Manning, but the offense continues to fall short. Cam Coleman, Emmett Mosley and Ryan Wingo offer multiple receiving threats; however, despite that, the Longhorns average just 22.7 points across three Power Four games this season. Their 122 rushing yards against Oklahoma also exposed deeper problems beyond the passing game.