Arch Manning’s 2025 season felt like a struggle that had no end. The hype was unreal with preseason Heisman chatter, uncle comparisons, and hopes he’d put Texas back on the map. But then reality hit hard. He opened with a rough 14-7 loss to Ohio State, going 17-for-30 with a TD and a pick. By the UTEP game, Texas was getting booed. He finally caught a breather against Sam Houston, completing a career-high 86% of his passes (18-of-21) for 309 yards and three touchdowns while adding two more on the ground.

But the bigger problem is the endless loop of criticism. Focusing on just the negatives ruins the beauty of the sport. Even ESPN analyst Stanford Steve Coughlin has had enough of the negativity. “I’m thinking about game day today,.. we spent a segment talking arch struggles, and I’m like, I’m done. I’m done talking about the bad. There’s too much good in this sport,” Steve said on the SV podcast. “And with 12 teams getting in the playoffs, I want to start counting on the good.”

A true football fanatic, Steve just wants to celebrate what makes the game special. Don’t we all feel the same? Of course, miscues and scrutiny have their place. But they shouldn’t drown out the bigger picture, especially when so many young athletes are shining with excellence.

So, moving on from the slump talk, here are the names that stood tall this week. So far in 2025, Tennessee’s QB Joey Aguilar has thrown 12 touchdowns for 1124 yards against just three interceptions, showing solid decision-making and poise in the SEC gauntlet. Remember his near-perfect first quarter against a powerhouse like Georgia? A historic 14-for-14 passing. It showcased the kind of accuracy and calm that Tennessee desperately needed. But let’s not forget another rising star carving his own story.

The Yellow Jackets grabbed a gritty 27-20 win at Colorado, with Haynes King rushing for a career-high 156 yards and three TDs. This moment is huge for King, especially considering his journey from an injury-marred stint at Texas A&M to becoming the “Comeback King” for Georgia Tech. He’s fourth in Georgia Tech QB rushing TDs (24) and sixth in career rushing yards (1,480). Then we have Bryce Underwood, who finally got free this season.

Underwood finally got to run and improvise once Biff Poggi took over play-calling from Sherrone Moore’s conservative style. Poggi gave Bryce the green light to do whatever he wanted. Against Central Michigan, Underwood exploded with 114 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with a passing touchdown. And even Arch’s endless struggles chatter finally hit a pause after his monstrous performance against Sam Houston. He landed on an elite list of Texas Longhorns QBs, joining the ranks of legends like Vince Young, Colt McCoy, and Sam Ehlinger. He posted multiple passing and rushing touchdowns in a single game. Manning’s 85.7% completion rate was screaming about his improvement.

Arch Manning’s unnecessary antics

Arch Manning finally delivered his career-best game against Sam Houston. But even amidst the celebration, there was a little drama that threw a curveball. And this time it came right from the Manning household. In the first quarter, after juking a Sam Houston linebacker (Antavious Fish) to score a touchdown, Manning couldn’t resist a bit of trash talk, standing over the defender who was still on the ground. Arch’s own mother was reportedly pretty upset by his antics.

“I felt good to get back in the end zone,” Arch later admitted during the post-game presser. “Probably a little much there. My mom was pretty mad about that. A little immature, but I think I have some built-up frustration in the past few weeks.” That move quickly heated the bench and drew immediate attention. And even former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel didn’t take Arch’s actions nicely.

On a podcast, Manziel called the trash-talking “a corny move.” Manziel’s own experience taught him to keep celebrations in check, even when hyped. The criticism reflected a broader expectation of maturity. And especially when you come with the Manning surname. It’s okay to have a competitive fire, but let’s keep it in check.