Having a famous football last name puts quite a bit of pressure on young players. It’s the same case with Arch Manning. Hailing from a family of star players, like two-time Super Bowl champions Peyton and Eli Manning, naturally puts a lot of expectations on the young quarterback. And sometimes, the quarterback just can’t live up to these expectations. 

That’s exactly what happened during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners on October 10, 2026. Manning made a few mistakes that cost the Longhorns a win. Reacting to that, former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter made a stern assessment of Manning. 

“Arch Manning needs to stay in college because he is not good at college football,” Carter told Shawn Meaike on the Fully Loaded Podcast. “You can’t leave college and not be good. And you got another year of eligibility.”

While Carter acknowledged that Manning has talent, intangible traits, a cannon arm, and is a great athlete, his fourth-quarter play against the Sooners was a bit concerning. He had two interceptions in the same quarter. Particularly, the second interception was why the Longhorns lost. 

According to Carter, the first interception was avoidable. But Oklahoma’s defensive back, Peyton Bowen, snatched the ball and returned 42 yards to score a touchdown. An additional point later, the scores were tied at 24. 

Meanwhile, the second interception came at second-and-10 at Oklahoma’s 49-yard line. The clock had about 19 seconds left for the game to end. However, Manning threw an incomplete pass, and Courtland Guillory intercepted it.

Subsequently, Manning lost a chance to score six points through a potential touchdown. That’s when things turned around for the Sooners, and they secured a 27-24 victory with a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the game.

“These weren’t forced turnovers,” Carter said, weighing in on Manning’s interceptions. “They had 17 seconds. They’re running the comeback on the outside. You either miss it outside, or you throw it over the guy’s head. You never throw it inside. 

“He’s not good at college football. They have a dominant defense. Oklahoma has their worst offense in a 100 years. They could not win that game without any help. He gave away this win. He threw a pick-six touchdown. He just threw the ball up for grabs.” 

Even analyst Tom Fornelli weighed in on Manning’s poor performance. On CBS Sports’ Cover 3 College Football Show, Fornelli urged the Longhorns to bench Manning. He claimed that he’s “not playing well” and branded Manning as an “FBS average QB.” 

So far, Manning has played five games this season, racking up 1,295 passing yards, with 11 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. In the last game against Oklahoma, he had 19 completions for 260 yards and three touchdowns. 

Well, that doesn’t mean that Arch Manning has no skills left. According to Stephen A. Smith (on First Take), the 22-year-old has skills that his Super Bowl-winning uncles didn’t. 

“He’s got physical gifts that neither Manning had before him because Peyton and Eli couldn’t run with the football the way Arch Manning can,” Smith said. “He can throw the ball as well. He’s just not consistent. And under pressure, he’s not unflappable. That’s the reality of the situation.” 

Clearly, Manning’s last name won’t shield him from criticism. To keep that in check, he needs to focus on the upcoming game against the Ole Miss Rebels.