Urban Meyer Already Exposed Arch Manning to the World, Before Deion Sanders Could Protect Him

Heading into the 2025 season, the hype around Arch Manning was off the rails. That didn’t materialize when the Longhorns faced the Buckeyes. A few years down the line, people may not understand the real story of the game from the box score. They’d conclude that both QBs failed, but Arch, in the first half, just looked out of place. The most shocking thing about Manning’s first start was how bad his mechanics looked. He failed to make rather simple passes, threw an interception with a pass in double coverage, and just didn’t display much of the dual-threat potential that made him different from his uncles. While Manning is yet to recover from the below-average outing, Urban Meyer stirred some more fear.

On the August 3rd episode of the Big Ten Network podcast, former Ohio State and Florida coach Meyer paid a visit. That’s when he was asked to comment on Ryan Day’s hiring of Matt Patricia as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. “Yeah, big hire. Matt Patricia and I go way back. He was the defensive coordinator for Bill Belichick at the Patriots. Came up as a defensive coach. Then he went on to the Detroit Lions as head coach, then went back to the Patriots and actually called plays,” agreed Meyer. While the coach’s strong resume is a big bonus for Ohio State, Manning lands in deep soup.

As Meyer noted, “So you think his expertise on both sides of the ball, I cannot think of a worse scenario for a young quarterback.” The fact that Patricia knows both offense and defense means he can design defensive looks that mess with Manning’s expectations. Since it was the quarterback’s first big test, the Ohio State coach’s scheme confused him.

Having grown up under the inspection of his uncle, Eli and Peyton Manning, he has been taught that if defenders rush at you (a blitz), you read it as pressure. So, Patricia disguised the defense so Manning thought he was seeing a blitz. That’s when the tables turned. The quarterback found defenders in coverage. That confusion made Manning hesitate, lose confidence, and get stuck in bad situations.

“Ohio State did simulated pressure. They brought the blitzes, but they played seven-man coverage. The two defensive ends dropped, and you could see him throughout the game. He got very tentative. He lock got locked up, and as a result, it’s much too late once that happens. Now you’re in a pressure situation,” Meyer detailed the Manning mishap.

Another key thing about Patricia is that until a short while ago, his schemes were designed to stop the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes. The onus was always on stopping the pass, and that’s what happened in the first half. The Longhorns’ run game had its moment, but the new DC of the Buckeyes just killed the passing game at the onset. But we must also remember it was only Week 1. There’s a long way to go. Some positive words, perhaps? Deion Sanders got him covered.

Deion Sanders steps in with empathy for Arch Manning

Manning had picked up the Heisman hype even before starting for the Longhorns. But someone came up with a grounding alert. On That SEC Podcast, DawgNation analyst Kaylee Mansell dropped her bold take: “My bold take is Arch Manning does not make the Heisman Trophy ceremony.” Someone sprinkled some more salt on Manning’s wounds. This came from someone who has walked the quarterback’s path, Chris Simms, who is the son of the NFL legend Phil Simms. 

The former Longhorns quarterback shared, “Well, yeah, I mean, the Manning name helps that a little bit; it makes everybody feel warm and cozy.” After all this, Deion walks in with some compassion for the Longhorns quarterback. For the Colorado Buffaloes head coach, it’s easier to empathize with what Manning must be going through. His sons, Shedeur and Shilo, had been the hot targets for the nepotism attacks. When Shedeur fell to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Shilo went undrafted, the attacks just got bigger. So, what’s the advice he got for Manning, who is also like his son?

Coach Prime appeared on Romi Bean‘s podcast and was asked about what advice he might impart to Arch Manning. “Be you. Don’t placate to others. Be you, and be the best you that you can possibly be. Quit trying to be whatever it is for them, and not that he’s doing that. But that’s what I told my sons, that’s what I tell my team, and that’s what I tell everybody,” said the Colorado head coach. The Texas Longhorns quarterback has been asked to block out the noise and refrain from imitation. Can Manning turn the tide and restore his pride?