Arch Manning has spent much of the year answering questions about his play. His mother found a different way to put him on the spot. In a new Humann video, Ellen Manning was asked to choose between football IQ and football talent.
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The clip, posted on November 11 on Instagram, featured Arch and Ellen standing together in the Longhorns’ stadium tunnel. The pair took turns answering a series of quick questions, from brisket or tacos to texting or calling. Then the interviewer asked the one question that gave Ellen an opening.
“Football IQ or football talent?” the interviewer asked the two in the video.
“Well, you have neither, so what do you think?” Ellen joked, turning to her son.
He burst out laughing before choosing football talent. Ellen gave the same answer. It was a short exchange, but the joke was always going to attract attention. Ellen’s quip was lighthearted banter, not a serious critique of her son’s abilities.
The rest of the video had been fairly harmless. Ellen chose brisket over tacos, while Arch went with tacos. When asked whether they preferred texting or calling, both chose texting. The football question changed the mood, at least for a moment.
There is also a family connection behind the joke. Ellen has generally stayed out of the spotlight compared with her husband Cooper and the rest of the Manning family.
But she has been increasingly visible as Arch’s profile has grown, and the two have now appeared together in Humann’s promotional campaign. The company’s partnership with Texas includes Arch and Ellen in a series of promotional videos.
The campaign began in October with a commercial built around a tailgate setting and a playful exchange involving Dr. Christopher Davis, a cardiologist. Humann also announced that more short videos featuring Arch and his mother are on the way.
Arch has spent years being tipped for stardom, and this season, the pressure was on him to deliver. Texas had handed him the starting job, and the talk about his potential now had to show up in his performances on Saturdays.
The first half of the season did not go as planned. Texas opened with four straight wins, including a 24-23 comeback against No. 1 Ohio State, but then lost consecutive games to Oklahoma and Florida.
Arch threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter against the Sooners, and a late fumble contributed to the defeat against Florida. The Longhorns fell from the top of the rankings, and questions about his decision-making and the possibility of a change at quarterback followed.
The criticism was not entirely about Manning. Texas struggled with pass protection, had trouble establishing a reliable running game, and failed to execute in short-yardage situations. But the quarterback’s mistakes were the easiest part of the offense to put under a microscope.
“Just felt like we didn’t play good offensive football, and we’re not playing great offensive football right now,” Steve Sarkisian said after the Florida loss. “So everything is going to be evaluated.”
Manning has since given Texas a much better response. The Longhorns have won three straight games, beating Ole Miss 34-27, Mississippi State 31-3 and Missouri 34-20. The win over Missouri on November 7 was particularly encouraging.
The Texas QB1 completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception. He was also named SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Through nine games, Manning has completed 168 of 254 passes for 2,024 yards and 18 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. Texas is 7-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play.
Those numbers do not erase the earlier struggles, but they show why the mood around the quarterback has improved since October. Texas has also climbed to No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Longhorns have little time to enjoy the recent improvement. Their remaining schedule consists of a road trip to LSU on November 14, followed by Arkansas and the rivalry game against Texas A&M.
All three games carry weight as Texas tries to strengthen its College Football Playoff position and make it to the playoff after last year’s disappointment.