Urban Meyer has a message for Arch Manning: get comfortable with criticism. The former Ohio State and Florida head coach recalled a conversation with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after the 2025 Longhorns’ loss to Ohio State. Meyer suggested the attention surrounding Manning is not going away anytime soon.

“I remember talking to Sark about this last year. You know, everybody’s all over Arch Manning. I get it. You’re a quarterback, and you had that last night. Get used to it, pal. That’s going to be the rest of your life,” Urban Meyer said on his July 10 Triple Option podcast. “However, when players aren’t open, that’s not the quarterback’s fault. And the receivers against Ohio State really struggle.”

Arch Manning’s preseason hype took a major hit in Week 1 against Ohio State in 2025. Texas lost 14-7 in Columbus. Manning finished 17-for-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The raw numbers were not disastrous, but the game was difficult for long stretches. Entering the fourth quarter, he had completed only 9 of 15 passes for 38 yards with an interception.

Texas’s offense was strangled. Manning didn’t complete a pass longer than 10 yards until his 17th attempt. Ohio State disguised coverages, took away explosive plays, and forced Texas into short throws. Manning looked hesitant at times. He struggled to push the ball downfield. The Buckeyes confused him with late defensive movement.

The Longhorns repeatedly stalled in scoring territory. The offense managed only seven points despite entering the season with championship expectations. Several drives ended because receivers failed to create separation against Ohio State’s secondary. And that’s probably why Arch Manning’s struggles looked even more glaring on the tape. Those issues continued through the first few games of the 2025 season.

Any other quarterback would have received some grace for that performance in their first game as a full-time QB1 for their program. But Manning was coming in with all the hype that surrounds his surname. It wasn’t his fault that many analysts were giving him the No. 1 NFL draft pick grades. And when you praise someone to that extent, the criticism is also equally brutal. Arch Manning saw both sides in just a few weeks. However, for Meyer, the loss wasn’t down to Arch Manning.

“When I asked him that question, it was very un-Texas-like, the offensive skill,” Urban Meyer said. “They’re very talented. They didn’t play great in that game. And so again, the common denominator of every great quarterback that has a great year is that he is surrounded by dudes.”

Manning improved late in the year. His decision-making became cleaner. He protected the football better. Texas won key games against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. His final regular-season line of 24 passing touchdowns plus eight rushing scores showed his dual-threat value. By November, he looked more comfortable operating Sarkisian’s offense than he did in August. The outlook for 2026 is much brighter.

The Longhorns have continued investing heavily in offensive line development and recruiting. The team has brought in Cam Coleman and Streling Berkhalter from the portal to the WR room. Sarkisian also added left guards Laurence Seymore and Dylan Sikorski and left tackle Melvin Siani from Wake Forest. He brought in a standout rushing threat in Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown from the portal. In his final year at NC State, Smothers notched 939 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. Overall, Texas looks prepared for the 2026 season, and hopefully, they won’t repeat last year’s mistakes.